Category: Battery Electric Car

Posted on

Nissan developing an improved version of the Renault Twizy

Nissan is working on an innovative urban electric vehicle that it says improves on the Twizy produced by alliance partner Renault.

Etienne Henry, Nissan's head of product strategy and planning said the new car will combine the compactness and agility of a motorcycle with the weather protection and protective shell of a conventional car.

"The Twizy is also trying to combine these, but we think there are optimizations possible with this kind of vehicle," said Henry, who declined to say when the car might be added to Nissan's lineup.

Renault sees the Twizy as an alternative to scooters in Europe's crowded cities. The Twizy, which debuted last year, is powered by a choice of two electric motors, a 4kW/5-hp version with its top speed capped at 45kph that can be driven in most countries in Europe without a driver's license and a version with a top speed of 80kph. It has maximum driving range of 100 km.

In 2008, Nissan showed the narrow, two-seat Land Glider concept that leaned into corners like a motorcycle but still came with the security of four wheels and an enclosed cabin. In a statement at the time, Nissan said it "should not be regarded as a mere design study."

"That was a very interesting concept with very challenging and meaningful technology," said Henry, who declined to say whether any of the Land Glider's features would make it into its future EV.

Henry, who previously was product manager for the first-generation Qashqai compact crossover, said the new EV would successfully mix the motorcycle and car genres in the same way the Qashqai blended the strengths of a compact hatchback with the styling of an SUV.

One aim of the new EV is to help address congestion in fast-growing cities. "It's clear we need to offer an efficiency in terms of compactness, of space usage. Probably this will have an answer to this question," he said.

At this year's Geneva auto show, Toyota showed an electric urban mobility concept with the same capability to lean into corners as the Nissan Land Glider. The three-wheel i-Road is scheduled for limited production and will join the lineup of EVs in Toyota's car-sharing program in the French city of Grenoble next year.

Posted on

Tesla has received hundreds of Model S orders from Hong Kong

Tesla Motors said it’s received hundreds of orders for its new Model S sedan, enough to double the number of electric cars on the roads of Hong Kong.

“Our number is over all electric cars in Hong Kong combined,” Kenneth Lui, Hong Kong sales manager for the Palo Alto, California-based company, said in an interview yesterday. Prices of the vehicle, which goes on sale in the city this winter, will be disclosed in the next couple of months, he said.

Tesla, headed by billionaire Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, 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.

Hong Kong had 303 registered private electric cars at the end of April, according to the city’s Transport Department.

Posted on

Plug-In EVs report strong June sales month in US

Electric vehicles had their strongest month in June this year as major automakers cut prices and added hefty incentives to boost sales.

General Motors reported sales jumped by 53 percent to 2,698 in June, up over the 1,760 in June 2012 after it offered incentives worth as much as $5,000 off 2012 models and $4,000 off 2013 models. For the first half of 2013, sales are up 11.8 percent.

Nissan said sales of its all-electric Leaf were up 315 percent over June 2012 to 2,225, for its second-best ever month. Nissan has now sold 9,849 in the first half of 2013, more than the 9,819 it sold in all of 2012. In January, Nissan said it was cutting the price of the entry-level Leaf 18 percent to $28,800 for the 2013 model as it launched U.S. production.

Honda had its best-ever month in June with 208 Fit EVs sold, after selling 83 in the first five months of the year. Honda announced in May that it has cut the monthly lease payment on its Fit EV from $389 to $259 and also is cutting the payment for those who already had leased the vehicle. Honda sold just 93 last year.

Honda started sales in July 2012 of the Fit EV and said it plans to sell just 1,100 over two years, citing capacity constraints. The company has 200 dealers selling the Fit EV and said it plans steadier availability. Honda spokeswoman Jessica Fini said after the lease price was cut, “basically everything on the ground sold,” but she emphasized that the company still has inventory to sell.

GM plans to keep the same incentives in place for at least another month. GM is offering $5,000 off the 2012, and $4,000 off the 2013, and a $269 lease for 36 months with $2,399 due at signing. More than 40 percent of Volts are sold in California, followed by Michigan in second.

Malcho said GM has increased its incentives to stay competitive in the electric vehicle market. The company also wants to clear out some inventory before it begins building 2014 Volts later this summer.

In January, Ford Motor Co. dropped the price of the lease for a Focus EV from about $350 a month to $285, plus $930 due at signing. Ford reduced the base price of the EV Focus by $2,000 to $37,995. But Ford EV sales have remained very modest. Ford sold 157 Focus EVs in May to 723 for the first five months of the year. By contrast Ford has sold 8,177 hybrids in the first five months of the year.

Posted on

Four time World Solar Challenge winners unveil – Nuna 7

The team that won the World Solar Challenge four times consecutively between 2001 and 2007 have unveiled their latest solar racer.

The Nuna7 solar-powered vehicle – which features pioneering pore-filling technology – will take part in the competition in Australia in October, representing the fourth time that the Nuon Solar Team from the Technical University in Delft and Sikkens paint experts from the company's Automotive and Aerospace Coatings business have worked together.

This year, however, will be the first time that the Nuna has used the new composite pinhole filler Aerowave 2501, which has already been used on commercial aircraft.

"When the carbon fiber shell of the Nuna is manufactured, the process creates pinholes that must be filled with putty and then sanded, often multiple times," explained John Grevers, AkzoNobel's Technical Coordinator for Benelux and Sikkens project leader for the Nuna.

"Our water-based pinhole filler replaces much of the putty and doesn't require sanding, because it can be easily wiped away. Which means it also adds less weight to the car than traditional fillers."

As well as the new pinhole filler, the Nuna 7 also features an aerodynamically advanced Sikkens coatings system designed to reduce wind drag and cut down on preparation time. Products used include Colorbuild Plus, Autocryl Plus LV, and Autoclear LV Superior.

"AkzoNobel is helping us a lot in terms of making sure that we have the best possible aerodynamics thanks to the finish they provide," said Leslie Nooteboom, the Delft team's Public Relations manager. "We feel that the company is playing a very important role in our chances of winning the race in Australia."

Added Grevers: "It has been a valuable experience for us to develop coatings that not only provide advanced aerodynamics, but can also perform well under the extreme temperatures of solar car racing. And it’s always good to work with students because they bring a fresh vision."

The team hopes to go one better than 2011, when the Nuna 6 finished second in the 11th World Solar Challenge. The biennial event – which aims to promote research on solar-powered cars – attracts teams from across the globe. The 2013 race will be staged from October 6 to 13.

Posted on

Michelin TV: Drayson Racing Set New FIA World Electric Land Speed Record [VIDEO]

Drayson Racing set a new World Electric Land Speed Record of 204.185mph this evening with the support of Michelin tyres.

Former science minister, businessman and racing driver Lord Drayson was behind the wheel of the Drayson B12 69/EV electric Le-Mans Prototype

In near perfect conditions, the Oxford-based sustainable motorsport company smashed the previous 175mph record, which had stood for nearly forty years, by 29.2mph.

As the new world record holder, Lord Drayson commented: "I'm delighted we've beaten the record tonight and can show the world EVs can be fast and reliable.Drayson Racing is a laboratory for EV technology, testing it to the most extreme level, as we've seen today."

"It is not the outright speed of 203mph that is most impressive about this record, but the engineering challenge of accelerating a 1000kg electric vehicle on a short runway over a measured mile.However I've got a great team and world-class partners, such as Michelin."

"This is a true celebration of Britain's leading position within the burgeoning electric vehicle industry and I'm delighted to be at the forefront of this electric revolution. We hope to set more records tomorrow. "

Drayson Racing is a research and development business, pioneering the development of sustainable technologies in the challenging environment of motorsport. With the electric land speed record it intends to showcase what is possible with an electric drive train and underscore Britain's leadership position in the EV industry.

Posted on

Monster Tajima wins EV class with fifth overall @ Pikes Peak

"Monster" Tajima has broken the 10 minute barrier with an electric vehicle at Pikes Peak beating the 2011 outright course record set by Nobuhiro Tajima himself at 9:51.278 behind the wheel of a 900 hp Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special.

The new EV record now stands at 9:46.530 beating the 10:15.380 set by Fumio Nutahara for Toyota Motorsport in 2012 and was just a whisker shy of 2012 outright winner Romain Dumas who set 9:46.18 in a Porsche GT3 RS.

Unfortunatley the outright record has now been put significantly further out of reach by nine time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb setting a time of 8:13.878 in a 900 hp 900 kg Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak Special.

  • 1st.: Nobuhiro Tajima 9:46.530 OVERALL: 5th!
  • 2nd.: Hiroshi Masuoka 10:21.866 OVERALL: 13th!
  • 3rd.: Greg Tracy 10:23.649 OVERALL: 14th!
  • 4th.: Rod Millen 10:24.301 OVERALL: 16th!

    Source: Pikes Peak Timing

    • Posted on

    Monster Tajima wins EV class with fifth overall @ Pikes Peak

    "Monster" Tajima has broken the 10 minute barrier with an electric vehicle at Pikes Peak beating the 2011 outright course record set by Nobuhiro Tajima himself at 9:51.278 behind the wheel of a 900 hp Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special.

    The new EV record now stands at 9:46.530 beating the 10:15.380 set by Fumio Nutahara for Toyota Motorsport in 2012 and was just a whisker shy of 2012 outright winner Romain Dumas who set 9:46.18 in a Porsche GT3 RS.

    Unfortunatley the outright record has now been put significantly further out of reach by nine time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb setting a time of 8:13.878 in a 900 hp 900 kg Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak Special.

  • 1st.: Nobuhiro Tajima 9:46.530 OVERALL: 5th!
  • 2nd.: Hiroshi Masuoka 10:21.866 OVERALL: 13th!
  • 3rd.: Greg Tracy 10:23.649 OVERALL: 14th!
  • 4th.: Rod Millen 10:24.301 OVERALL: 16th!

    Source: Pikes Peak Timing

    • Posted on

    Tesla Model S 85 kWh Performance vs 60 kWh [VIDEO]

    Drag Times have put together a video showing the Model S 60 vs the 85 Performance digital dashes side by side from 0-114 MPH. Both runs were done on the same road but at different times.

    The Model S 60 was amazing consistent running 3 consecutive 0-60 MPH runs in just 5.1 seconds with 1/4 mile in 13.7 @ 102.8 MPH.

    The Model S Performance did 0-60 MPH in just 3.9 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 12.3 @ 111.7.

    Source: Drag Times