Category: Battery Electric Car

Posted on

Chevrolet Spark EV Driving 101 [VIDEO]

Car reviewers describe the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV as “fun,” “spunky” and a “hoot to drive.” With 130hp and 400 lb-ft of instant torque, the all-electric mini-car can go from 0 to 60 in less than 7.6 seconds.

“Spark EV is the new benchmark for electric cars aimed at urban driving and a kick in the pants to pilot around town,” said Lindsay Brooke, senior editor, SAE International magazines. “Spark EV owners who are new to all-electric driving will soon find out how difficult it is to hide their silly grin when they realize how far that car will take them for pennies on the dollar.”

For many Spark EV owners, getting plugged-in to an all-electric, no-gas-required lifestyle will be a new experience.

Here are a few tips to ease the transition:

  • Recharge daily – And do it quicker with the soon-to-be-available SAE combo charger for DC fast charging. It can recharge the 21-kWh lithium-ion battery pack to 80-percent capacity in 20 minutes.

  • Extend range – Maximize the mini-car’s EPA-estimated 82 miles (130 km) of driving range by recharging in public charging stations, or use Spark EV’s standard 120V cord in any outlet.

  • Don’t be a juice hog – Public charging stations are in high demand. After charging, move on so that other EV owners can recharge. Or if parking conditions allow, place a note on your dashboard saying it’s okay to unplug your car if the Green Light indicating a full charge is flashing.

  • Know the distance – The available BringGo smartphone app can help Spark EV owners know how far they can go without recharging by providing full-function, in-dash navigation via Chevrolet MyLink as well as live traffic updates, for less than $60.

  • Go with the flow – Many EV owners like to maximize range by driving at or below the speed limit. No problem, just steer clear of the fast lane so other Spark EV drivers can enjoy their instant torque.

  • Be loud – The Pedestrian Friendly Alert Function projects a light chirp and calls attention to Spark EV’s presence. Pulling the turn signal lever back while in Drive will give a friendly honk. The alert can be set to activate automatically in Drive and Reverse at speeds below 18 mph (28 km/h).

  • Enjoy the savings – Spark EV can save its owners approximately $9,000 in fuel over five years compared to the average new vehicle – that’s $150 per month that can be spent on something else.

  • Be an EV advocate – Expect to get lots of questions about Spark EV. Take these opportunities to spread the advantages of going gas free.

    Expanding the Spark lineup, the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV is designed to make the trip as electrifying as the destination. It is priced under $19,995 with tax incentives and is now available to residents in California and Oregon, with sales expanding to Canada, South Korea and Europe later.

    • Posted on

    Panasonic Ene-1 GP Suzuka KV-40 Challenge [VIDEO]

    The "2013 Ene-1 GP SUZUKA" next-generation electric energy car event was held last month at Suzuka Circuit.

    It was sponsored by Land Mobility Inc, owner of Suzuka Circuit, and Panasonic was an official partner of the event.

    Panasonic promoted its "KV-40 Challenge" where cars were powered on 40x AA rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. In this challenge, teams were invited to independently produce single-seater electric vehicles, powered by EVOLTA batteries, and complete 3 laps around the 5.8 km Suzuka circuit which features a maximum elevation change of 50 meters.

    75 teams from all over Japan participated, ranging from junior high school teams to serious hobbyists, with average speeds on the track reaching up to 60 km/h and it was noted that driving skill definitely played a large part in participant success.

    The winner of the time trial was "Ahiru-Ecopa Racing Togo" team.

    Posted on

    GM Working on $30,000 EV with 200-Mile Range

    As automakers race to make cheaper electric cars with greater battery range, General Motors is working on one that can go 200 miles per charge at a cost of about $30,000, a top company executive said.

    Vice President of Global Product Development Doug Parks wouldn't say when or if such a car will be built, however.

    Currently GM sells the $35,000 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which can go 38 miles on electricity before a gas-powered generator kicks in. It also offers the all-electric Chevy Spark subcompact that can go 82 miles on a charge. It starts at $26,685. Electric cars are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

    The 200-mile car would cost about the same as the current Volt, and it would match the range and be far cheaper than Tesla Motors' $71,000, all-electric Model S. The Model S can go up to 265 miles on a single charge.

    A moderately priced electric car with a 200-mile range would make electric cars more appealing to Americans, solving the two chief complaints about such cars: Anxiety over running out of power and high price, said Tom Libby, lead North American analyst for the Polk automotive research firm.

    "That would be a huge step forward, no question," he said.

    Currently, cars powered solely by batteries make up only 0.3 percent of U.S. sales, Libby said, but he's confident that would increase if an automaker came out with a moderately priced 200-mile car.

    Tesla gets accolades for the Model S, including the highest test score ever recorded by Consumer Reports magazine. And the Palo Alto, Calif., company also is working on a mass-market electric car. CEO Elon Musk has said it will have around a 200-mile range and cost about $35,000. It could go on sales as early as the end of 2016, he has said.

    GM has taken a different approach from Tesla, Parks said, pricing electric vehicles from around $25,000 to about $40,000. They don't go as far after each charge, which has kept battery costs down and made the cars more affordable, he said.

    "Their pricing is up there for a real unique customer," Parks said of Tesla. "The real trick will be who can do a 200-mile car for more of the price range I'm talking about. We're all in races to do that."

    The 200-mile car won't be the next-generation Volt. Speaking at a Monday event to show off GM's expanded battery laboratory at its technical center in Warren, a suburb north of Detroit, Parks said that GM engineers are now working on a new Volt, which will go a little father on electricity than the current model and cost a little less. He wouldn't say when it will arrive in showrooms or how much it will cost.

    GM on Monday showed off a 50,000-square-foot addition to the battery lab. The added space, which nearly doubled the lab's size, will let the company test batteries and computer controls much faster than before. Parks said the goal is to develop electric cars twice as fast as the company could in the past. It took GM about four years to develop the Volt and bring it to market.

    Posted on

    Solar Cars improve the breed

    A famous quote from Soichiro Honda, the legendary founder of Honda Motor Company, says “Racing improves the breed”. There's no doubt many Formula One teams have used the phrase to imply a legitimate link between innovations made in racing that eventually benefit us all as the technology from top-level motorsport filters down into road cars, although it would be hard to convince anyone of a practical use for an off-throttle blown diffuser in a hatch back.

    Likewise solar racing cars have made significant contributions that have lead to today's current crop of mass produced Plug-In electric cars. It all started with the winning vehicle of the very first World Solar Challenge in 1987. GM's Sunrayer was designed by Hughes Aerospace, (the company originally founded by Howard Hughes) at the time a division of General Motors, in collaboration with a smaller aerospace company called AeroVironment.

    More than a dozen Caltech graduates participated in Sunrayer programs at AeroVironment, the most deeply involved was Alan Cocconi who was responsible for the power electronics systems. This included everything from motor controller through battery management to telemetry.

    The Cocconi designed MOSFET based three phase AC motor drive inverter ran a 92% efficient 10 hp (peak) motor that drove the left rear wheel of Sunraycer via a cogged belt.

    Sunraycer won Pole with a top speed of 109 km/h and lead the 24 car field from start to finish covering the 3,005 km route at an average speed of 66.9 km/h (41.6 mph), 50% faster than 2nd place.

    Following the World Solar Challenge success, in early 1988 GM insiders proposed the idea of making a very efficient EV with the knowledge gained from Sunraycer but to make it an affordable car with decent range and performance equal to a petrol powered car. Work soon begins at AeroVironment on the 'Impact' based around a 15 kWh Lead Acid battery pack, Al Cocconi again responsible for power electronics design.

    The Impact EV concept car was launched at the LA Auto Show in Jan 1990 and the car so well received that by April GM announced the car would go into production. The Alan Cocconi designed motor controller for the Impact, a direct descendant of that used in Sunraycer, were refined by Hughes Electronics and went into the GM EV1 when production started in 1996.

    Based on his work to date, in 1992 Alan Cocconi founded AC Propusion to produce electric vehicle drive systems featuring high performance, high efficiency induction motors and integrated high power battery charging. The original test bed was a not too glamorous Honda Civic but once the powertrain design was debugged, a Piontek Sportech kit car chassis, originally designed for a Suzuki GSX-R motor, was converted into an EV sports car called t-zero.

    Launched in 1997, the 1040 kg t-zero, powered by 28x lead acid batteries, started to make headlines with it's 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds levels of performance. By 2003 the car had been upgraded with 6,800x 16850 Li-ion cells with a single charge range of 480 km, a 320 kg reduction in kerb weight and 0-60 times reduced to a supercar beating 3.2 seconds.

    If some of these specs sound similar to the Tesla Roadster, that's because the Roadster was developed by Tesla Motors to mass-produce AC propulsions t-zero, the first EV to demonstrate the performance and range potential of lithium ion batteries and the car that can legitimately be credited with inspiring today's mass produced plug-In electrics from GM, Nissan, Mitsubishi etc. In fact Tesla Motors was founded to commercialise Alan Cocconi's work and the Tesla Model S uses technology licensed from AC Propulsion.

    Today's solar racers are still blazing a trail years ahead of the automotive industry, witness BMWs i3 Electric car, the first all carbon fibre production car. In the area of powertrains, every WSC winner since 1999 has used direct drive in-wheel motors (road car in-wheel motors are currently being developed) and surely in won't be much longer before the 12.5% of Australian homes that have roof-top PV systems installed realise they already have the infrastructure in place to solar power a plug-in electric vehicle for their daily commute?

    This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is held from 6th – 13th October. If you can’t make it to Darwin or Adelaide, you can follow the race on Twitter via @tsport100 or @WorldSolarChlg.

    Disclosure: Post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Words and thoughts are entirely my own.

    Posted on

    Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E race car unveiled in Frankfurt

    FIA President Jean Todt and Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings, earlier this week (September, 10) revealed the much-anticipated new Spark-Renault SRT_01E fully-electric single-seater during the opening day of the prestigious 65th International Frankfurt Motor Show.

    Watched by invited guests and members of the press, the SRT_01E has been designed and built by Spark Racing Technology, headed by the renowned Frédéric Vasseur, together with a consortium of the leading manufacturers in motorsport, and will compete in the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship - the world’s first global electric race series beginning in September 2014.

    Using the very latest technology, the SRT_01E aims to push the boundaries of what is currently achievable in electric motorsport, whilst ensuring a balance between cost-effectiveness and sustainability, in addition to coping with the demands of racing entirely on city-centre circuits.

    The car’s monocoque chassis has been constructed by leading Italian firm Dallara and has been aerodynamically designed to aid overtaking. Made from carbon fibre and aluminium, the chassis will fully comply with the 2014 FIA crash tests.

    Providing the electric motor, gearbox and electronics is McLaren Electronics Systems, the world leader in high- performance technology for motorsport. Williams Advanced Engineering, part of the Williams group of companies that includes the world famous Williams F1 Team, is responsible for the design and supply of the batteries and their battery management systems; producing 200kw (the equivalent of 270bhp).

    Overseeing all the systems integration, performance optimisation and powertrain electrical safety is Formula E’s Technical Partner Renault, a leader in electric vehicles and an expert in motorsport thanks to its Renault Sport Technologies and Renault Sport F1 programmes. Meanwhile, custom made 18-inch treaded tyres have been created by Official Tyre Partner Michelin, with just one durable tyre to cater for both wet and dry conditions and helping to reduce overall costs and promote sustainability.

    “I congratulate all partners involved in the production of the fully-electric SRT_01E car – it is a fantastic achievement,” said FIA President Jean Todt. “The innovative technology deployed follows the best environmental practices, highlighting the potential of the Formula E Championship to spark a revolution in the development of new electromobility systems, not just for motorsport but also for everyday use. This new championship builds on the FIA’s traditional role as a leading promoter of innovation, technology and performance in the automotive sector.”

    The car, which has been 10 months in the making, will be used by all 10 teams and 20 drivers competing in the new zero emission series although only for the first season as Formula E is an ‘open championship’ designed to encourage manufacturers to build their own car to help accelerate R&D around the electric vehicle. A total of 42 cars will be produced by Spark with each driver using two cars during the one hour races.

    Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoter Formula E Holdings, said: “With Formula E being an open championship, the series gives manufacturers the opportunity to showcase their electrical energy innovations and we’re delighted to have Spark Racing Technology as the first, and for them to produce our new fully-electric Formula E car. Spark has enlisted the very best companies in motorsport to aid with its development, with Dallara, Renault, McLaren, Williams and Michelin all leaders in their respective fields and it’s an honour to welcome them here today. The Frankfurt Motor Show is also the perfect environment to reveal our new car. Many leading manufacturers at the Show today are unveiling their new electric road cars but not just one offs, full car ranges, demonstrating how times have changed and why the time is right to launch the new FIA Formula E Championship.”

    Frédéric Vasseur, President of Spark Racing Technology, added: “I am extremely proud and happy to work with the partners Spark has gathered together to form this unique consortium, a first in the history of motorsport. I regard each and every one of these partners with the highest esteem, I have worked with them throughout my career and they have accompanied me in a lot of the successes I have been fortunate to achieve in my other activities in traditional motorsport. All consortium members are driven by a motivation to make this innovative project a success.”

    Patrice Ratti, CEO of Renault Sport Technologies, said: “As a global leader for the production of electric vehicles and with a unique expertise in motorsports ever since the company was founded, the choice of Renault as technical partner to develop the fully-electric SRT_01E car for the FIA Formula E championship was obvious. Renault engineers and motorsport experts are directly contributing to the overall powertrain architecture and are in charge of electric systems' specifications and integration, benefiting from the experience acquired while developing the new 2014 Renault-Energy-F1 Power Unit. Renault is also working with Spark to enhance the performance and safety level of the SRT_01E car powertrain. The objective is to design an outstanding race car that will be clean, reliable, safe as well as fast and responsive.”

    Peter van Manen, Managing Director of McLaren Electronic Systems, said: “These cars are going to be brilliant racing through the centres of cities. Electric motors deliver instant torque and acceleration and that is what McLaren is all about. Performance and efficiency. Our electric motor, developed originally for the McLaren P1™, has the highest power-to-weight ratio in the world. McLaren is proud to provide the performance behind Formula E.”

    Sir Frank Williams, Founder and Team Principal of Williams, commented; "Motorsport is moving towards a greener future and the FIA Formula E Championship will be a prime opportunity to showcase the latest green technology that has its origins in motor racing. Williams has a track record in developing hybrid technologies and we are proud to be supplying the battery and battery management system for the car that is being launched today. These components will be a pivotal part of what makes the car so green and the team at Williams Advanced Engineering is working hard to develop a battery system that is reliable and makes for excellent racing."

    Andrea Pontremoli, CEO of Dallara Automobili, said: “With our single-seater cars running successfully in the most important categories and championships all over the world, we could not lose the opportunity to be part of the new Formula E exciting challenge and we are very thankful to our long term partner Frédéric Vasseur for the credit he gave us. We will use all our experience and know how to design and build the best possible chassis in terms of performance, reliability, ease of use and safety. The safety aspect is particularly important for us and we are working hard with Spark and the FIA to set new safety standards for such an innovative championship.”

    Pascal Couasnon, Director of Michelin Motorsport, added: “Michelin is the official tyre supplier to the FIA Formula E Championship for the next three years [2013 to 2015]. This new discipline is of special interest to Michelin because it is a means to work on the design of efficient tyres to optimise the range of the formula’s single-seater cars. These solutions need to be extremely versatile in order to adapt to different weather conditions without losing any of their pedigree as genuine racing tyres. For Michelin, it is an additional opportunity to carry over the innovations developed for motorsport from the race track to the street.”

    The SRT_01E will undergo a stringent FIA crash test followed by an extensive testing programme.

    Posted on

    VW announce plans to electrify 14 models by 2014 possibly up to 40

    Amazing how some companies change their tune. Only as recently as 2009 Dr Winterkorn himself said that EVs won't have a majority share in the market for another 15-20 years. Yet within 5 years they're planning a total of 14 models from several Group brands with electric or hybrid drive technology. If there is sufficient demand, Dr Winterkorn says up to 40 new models could be fitted with alternative drivetrains.

    The Volkswagen Group has set its sights on global market leadership in electric mobility. "We are starting at exactly the right time. We are electrifying all vehicle classes, and therefore have everything we need to make the Volkswagen Group the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018", Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, said on the eve of the 65th International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main.

    Winterkorn is convinced that Volkswagen is strongly positioned: "We have the most comprehensive approach to tomorrow's mobility. From highly-efficient, eco-friendly diesel, gasoline and natural gas-fuelled engines to classical hybrids, purely battery-driven vehicles and plug-in hybrids - no other automaker can match the broad range we have to offer." The company wants to win new customers with electric vehicles that are technically mature, practical in everyday use, safe and affordable, and is showcasing models such as the all-electric e-up! and e-Golf as well as the Audi A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid and the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, also a plug-in model, at the auto industry’s leading motor show.

    According to Winterkorn: "The electric car cannot be a compromise on wheels, it must convince customers in every respect." He said that environmental compatibility and sustainability were increasingly becoming the main purchasing criterion: "From the zero-emission city car, through the plug-in hybrid all-rounder to the three-liter sports saloon: It is our customers who decide for themselves just how much e-mobility they want." He went on to say that electric-drive vehicles were a key building block for achieving the ambitious climate protection targets, and that the plug-in hybrid had the greatest market potential.

    Initially, a total of 14 models from several Group brands will be available with electric or hybrid drive technology by 2014. If there is sufficient demand, up to 40 new models could be fitted with alternative drivetrains. Winterkorn underscored that Volkswagen had placed electric mobility "at the center of the Group": "We have developed the know-how for electric motors and battery systems at our own components plants, we have recruited 400 top experts for electric traction and qualified almost 70,000 development, production and service employees in this new technology – the biggest electrification training program in our industry."

    The Volkswagen Group invests over seven billion euros in research and development each year. A significant share is spent on developing technologies and components for electric mobility – more than in any other field.

    The key to rolling out electric mobility swiftly and efficiently across all brands and vehicle classes is the modular toolkit systems which from the start have been designed for assembling electric drives. Production in Bratislava, Puebla, Wolfsburg, Leipzig or Ingolstadt can now respond flexibly and at low risk to demand as it arises and can reduce both weight and costs through the use of proven components.

    According to Winterkorn, anyone who genuinely takes ecological responsibility seriously goes one step further: "We must have a holistic mindset and a comprehensive approach to mobility – from generating energy through development, production, retail and vehicle operation right down to recycling. Our clear goal, therefore, is to lead with holistic, modern mobility concepts."

    In Europe, Volkswagen Group brands currently offer 420 model variants with maximum CO2 emissions of 130 grams per kilometer, 302 models emitting a maximum of 120 g/km, 50 models emitting up to 100 g/km and 23 models emitting 95 g/km or less. The Volkswagen XL1 plug-in hybrid has the lowest emissions. The world's most efficient series production vehicle has CO2 emissions of 21 g/km, consumes 0.9 liters of fuel and has a range of 500 kilometers, making it the company's technological spearhead.

    Posted on

    ELMOFO Electric Radical SR8 Track Testing [VIDEO]

    Solar Power Australia's ELMOFO (Electro Motive Force) Electric Radical SR8 has logged more testing laps around Eastern Creek Raceway, now known as Sydney Motorsport Park.

    The team are chasing more track time to tune the dual RMS PM150 Inverters to suit the 600 hp EVDrive Dual-Inline Stacked Motor.

    The Radical currently holds the EV lap record at the 3.9 km circuit of 1:37.5.

    Posted on

    World Premiers of VW e-Golf and e-up! @ IAA 2013 [VIDEO]

    In a dual world premiere, Volkswagen will be presenting two new and extremely efficient electric cars at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt (10th to 22nd September): the e-up! and e-Golf. This means that Europe's most successful carmaker is transitioning two high-volume production models to the age of electric mobility. Both zero-emissions cars offer unlimited everyday practicality, each has four doors, and they are attractively equipped. Standard features: automatic climate control with parking heater and ventilation, radio-navigation system, windscreen heating, LED daytime running lights and, in the e-Golf, the Volkswagen brand's first use of LED headlights. The two newcomers are also leaders in energy efficiency: the e-up! consumes just 11.7 kWh of electricity per 100 km – this makes it the new world champion in efficiency. The e-Golf, positioned two classes higher, attains an excellent value of 12.7 kWh. Given an electricity price of €0.258 per kWh (Germany, as of 31st July 2013), driving 100 km with the e-up! costs just €3.02, and with the e-Golf it is around €3.30.

    Made in Germany. Innovative drive technologies are core competencies at Volkswagen. Therefore, the e-motors, gearboxes and lithium-ion batteries of the e-up! and e-Golf are developed in-house, and they are manufactured in large Volkswagen component plants in Germany.

    Typical Volkswagen. All Volkswagen are intuitive to operate, extremely practical in everyday use and sophisticated, and these traits have been fully transferred to the brand's new e-vehicles. The zero-emission cars from Volkswagen are manufactured with the same high-volume production systems as their counterparts with combustion engines.

    e-Golf data. The e-Golf, which is being presented in a world premiere in Frankfurt, is driven by a 85 kW / 115 PS electric motor. The motor produces its maximum drive torque of 270 Nm as soon as it starts off. The results: the front-wheel drive e-Golf reaches 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds. On a motorway, the speed of the five-seat front-wheel drive car is electronically limited to 140 km/h.

    e-up! data. Also making its debut in a world premiere at the IAA is the four-seat e-up!. Its electric motor produces 60 kW / 82 PS. This motor transmits 210 Nm of torque to the driven front axle from a standstill. It completes the sprint to 100 km/h in 12.4 seconds. Top speed: 130 km/h.

    Driving ranges tailored for commuters. The e-up! can drive 160 km on one battery charge (18.7 kWh), while the e-Golf with its larger battery (24.2 kWh) has a range of 190 km. In both models, two very efficient driving modes ("Eco", "Eco+") and four just as easy to activate regenerative braking modes ("D1", "D2", "D3" and "B") help to extend maximum ranges. And they are driving ranges that make sense. In Germany, for example, studies by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development found that around 80 per cent of all car drivers in Germany drive fewer than 50 km daily.

    Quick charging. The fastest CCS charging stations (direct current) shorten the time needed to charge the battery of an e-up! or an e-Golf to 80 per cent capacity to just around half an hour.

    Powertrain and fuel strategy. Over the past decade, Volkswagen has already systematically sketched out a schedule for the future in its powertrain and fuel strategy, which included starting points for electric vehicles like the e-up! and e-Golf. This strategy sets up a timeline with realistic time windows for the introduction of alternative drive systems such as the hybrid, electric and hydrogen-based systems. In this scenario, the all-electric drive system – which will be demonstrated by the new e-up! and e-Golf – represents an indispensable and sensible supplemental drive system. That is because electric cars utilise renewable energy sources and enable zero-emissions mobility in metropolitan areas. Nonetheless, well into the future Volkswagen will continue to promote an intelligent mix of the most efficient drive systems.

    Driving at the pace of the big city. The fact is that the target group for electric cars is growing, because a paradigm shift has begun. Sustainable mobility is having an increasing impact on people's actions. Yet the products for implementing this environmental awareness must be practical and fun as well - such as the e-up! and e-Golf which accelerate to big city pace in just a few seconds. The new zero-emission Volkswagen cars therefore have the potential for irreversibly charging up the electric car segment with innovative technology, a high level of everyday practicality and a dynamic driving feeling.

    Posted on

    Nissan e-NV200 Electric Van in Final Development Phase

    Nissan is in the final development phase of its second mass production zero emission vehicle, the e-NV200 compact van. Electric vehicles are ideal for urban delivery applications, and this vehicle is envisaged for use as a delivery van that offers a breakthrough type of mobility for entrepreneurs, featuring efficiency and green consciousness.

    The company has been working with several large commercial fleets in global markets since 2011 to understand how the e-NV200 test car performs under real operating conditions. So far the e-NV200 has received positive comments for its quiet, comfortable driving with no emissions and low noise, CO2 reduction, and generous carrying capacity.

    Feedback will help Nissan adapt future battery-powered light commercial vehicles to better fulfill exacting customer requirements.

    The 100% electric compact van, e-NV200, is scheduled for launch in 2014. As Nissan’s second global electric vehicle, it follows Nissan LEAF, the world’s first affordable 100% EV for the mass market.

    In addition to further reinforcing Nissan’s zero-emissions leadership, the launch of the e-NV200 represents significant innovation in the commercial vehicle market. The model offers all the spaciousness, versatility and practicality of its base vehicle, the multipurpose commercial van NV200. It delivers advanced performance that can only be achieved through the powertrain of the Nissan LEAF.

    The e-NV200 provides exceptionally smooth acceleration and quietness, driving characteristics that are unique to EVs, while emitting no CO2 emissions at the point of use. e-NV200 displays great potential for businesses, with its advanced telematics system and power-supply function in the cargo compartment. Also, the model's enviable running cost – a priority for most companies – will be highly attractive when competing in the commercial vehicle marketplace.

    "The e-NV200 will offer all the spaciousness, versatility and practicality of a traditional diesel or gas-powered compact van, but with zero CO2 or other pollutant emissions at the point of use. What's more, it will provide an outstanding driving experience that is unique to EVs. e-NV200 represents a bold and innovative addition to our commercial vehicle range, which is already one of the broadest of any manufacturer," said Hideto Murakami, corporate vice president, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    When e-NV200 production begins it will become Nissan's second zero-emission vehicle, but the company is already investigating further innovative ways of harnessing its world-leading EV technology in the commercial vehicle market with the e-NT400, which is a light truck based on the European NT400Cabstar, known as NT400 Atlas in Japan.

    The e-NT400, still in its development phase but with plans for production under study, uses Nissan LEAF running gear to create a zero-emission 100% electric vehicle.

    Like e-NV200, e-NT400 would be able to enter city areas denied to conventional vehicles powered by diesel or petrol engines, while its near-silent running means it could operate around the clock as it creates no noise or emission nuisance.

    Low running costs would make e-NT400 a breakthrough business proposition, while the high output, high capacity lithium-ion battery powering the 80kW electric motor gives smooth, vibration-free acceleration for a completely unprecedented driving experience.

    With a cruising range of 87 miles (140 kilometers) in NEDC mode, and the availability of fully integrated Quick Charging potential - allowing the battery to be charged to 80 per cent capacity in just 60 minutes - the e-NT400 has the potential to make a serious contribution to lowering CO2 emission in cities. At the same time, it will increase productivity and lower running costs for operators.

    Hideto Murakami, Nissan corporate vice president responsible for the Global LCV Business Unit, said: "As well as e-NV200, Nissan is developing a number of vehicles that adapt a diverse range of EV technologies. We want to explore the potential of EV technology in the light commercial market to diversify the value that Nissan's commercial vehicles provide to businesses."

    Posted on

    Tesla Model S takes on the Aston Martin Rapide S [VIDEO]

    The Tesla Model S is a landmark car, but is it better than the mighty Aston Martin Rapid S? Autocar take to the test track to find out.

    Steve Sutcliffe over at Autocar thinks the Tesla Model S is the future...today. It offers most of the usability of the world's best luxury saloons, but with no tailpipe emissions and a fraction of the running costs.

    And it handles too. Really handles. But can it really be better than the £150,000 Aston Martin Rapide S?