Category: Battery Electric Car

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Foxconn Partners with Tencent in Electric Car Business

Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, better known as Foxconn, on Monday said it has partnered Chinese social networker Tencent Holdings Ltd to develop opportunities related to electric vehicles, marking the latest tech foray into "smart" cars.

Foxconn, WeChat operator Tencent and luxury car dealer China Harmony Auto Holding Ltd signed an agreement to work together in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, the contract manufacturer said without detailing specifics.

The partnership would put Tencent on a par with online peers Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Baidu Inc, which have already moved into the nascent market for Internet-connected cars vie tie-ups with major auto makers.

Foxconn said the coalition would form a working team drawing on its manufacturing capabilities, Tencent's Internet platform and China Harmony Auto's dealership network, to explore commercial possibilities in smart electric vehicles.

Foxconn announced an investment of over $800M to build electric cars in China in 2014.

Foxconn, known more for assembling the bulk of Apple Inc's iPhones, already has experience with electric vehicles having manufactured the touch screens in some cars made by U.S. automaker Tesla Motors Inc.

The absence of a carmaker from its new partnership appears to put the group on a different tack to that of Alibaba or Baidu in targeting electric vehicles.

The Chinese government has recently redoubled efforts to promote electric vehicles, renewing tax breaks and setting aggressive emission standards.

Foxconn has manufacturing operations across China and has been working to diversify from the competitive, low-margin contract business. As part of that drive, it bought around 10 percent of Zhengzhou-based China Harmony Auto last year.

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Nissan LEAF Battery Reliability Outperforms Cynics [VIDEO]

Robert Llewellyn, from Red Dwarf & Fully Charged fame, debunks motoring journalists who when the Nissan Leaf was launched questioned it's battery reliability.

Of the 30,000 sold across Europe just 0.01% of batteries have been replaced since 2010. That makes the Nissan Leaf more reliable than a petrol or diesel engined car, according to industry averages.

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UK Highways Agency commissions study into wireless power on roads

The Highways Agency has commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to undertake a feasibility study into the use of dynamic wireless power transfer (WPT) on Britain’s roads.

The Highways Angency wants to understand whether WPT can be used on motorways and major A roads, so it can prepare for and “potentially encourage” greater uptake of electric vehicles (EV).

Scheduled to report in spring this year, TRL will identify two near-market dynamic WPT technologies that could be suitable in future research and trials of the technology in the UK. The feasibility study will also consider “the requirements for integration with road infrastructure and maintenance, connection to the grid and requirements for provision of power and energy”.

In addition, TRL will look into approaches by vehicle manufacturers of integration into different classes of vehicle from cars to HGVs and busses, and investigate the viability of introducing the technology.

TRL said in a statement: “The purpose of the project is not to find an alternative to current plug-in charging infrastructure but rather to develop a comprehensive charging eco-system capable of delivering power to EVs via different methods. This is to facilitate greater and more flexible use of EVs in the UK, overcome range anxiety and allow switching to zero emission for vehicle types that have traditionally been accepted as not suitable for electrification, such as HGVs and coaches.”

Once the study is completed, TRL said it could be followed by a series of off-road “test track trials and accelerated pavement facility testing”.

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Next BMW i model not due until 2020

BMW R&D chief Klaus Froehlich says the company will launch a third BMW i car but it won’t arrive until at least 2020.

“We are still in the strategic research phase where we brainstorm,” BMW Group r&d chief Klaus Froehlich told Automotive News Europe. “Teams that start with a white sheet of paper. They talk with customers, hold workshops, then present their ideas and we decide.”

Froehlich disputed media reports that claimed the third model after the i3 and i8 would be a variant of the X5 premium large SUV. He said the mission of the i subbrand is to change the perception of how a low-emissions car should look and perform, therefore there are no plans to re-package an existing BMW Group model and call it an i model.

Also, he said the i subbrand is supposed to be a starting point for cutting-edge innovation that progressively moves down into the rest of the automaker’s lineup. Current examples include carbon fiber, which is a key part of the i3 and i8 and is moving into other BMWs, and the i8’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is being added to high-volume models such as X5, 3 series and 4 series.

BMW will focus on steadily improving the i3 and i8 during the six-plus years until the subbrand’s portfolio grows again.

“We have a minimum 20 percent battery density improvement every three years, thus over the i3 and i8’s life cycle, we will offer more performance, more range or a combination of the two,” Frohlich said.

When asked whether current i3 and i8 owners would be able to switch to the more powerful electrical powertrains Froehlich said: “I don’t think a retrofit makes sense. When better batteries are available, we could then offer models with a longer range or with the same range but at a lower price.”

BMW Ceo Norbert Reithofer, who approved the i project skunkworks that developed the lightweight, low-cost carbon-fiber composites and electric drivetrains for the i3 and i8, will step down in May to be be replaced by Harald Krüger, current head of production. Krüger is known to have a more pragmatic view of electric vehicles than Reithofer.

Also BMW's R&D Chief, Herbert Diess, who oversaw the launch of the i3 and i8, and was thought to be a potential successor for BMW's CEO role was recently poached by Volkswagen to become chairman of VW's passenger car brand.

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Porsche To Expand With New Electric Car to Challenge Tesla

Porsche AG may expand its growing lineup with a battery-powered vehicle to cater to demand for cleaner luxury vehicles and counter the rise of Tesla Motors Inc.

“Tesla has built an exceptional car,” Porsche chief Matthias Mueller said Friday at the brand’s annual press conference in Stuttgart, Germany. “They have a very pragmatic approach and set the standard, where we have to follow up now.”

The Volkswagen AG unit plans to roll out its seventh model line by 2020, but has yet to make a final decision on the car’s form. Porsche previously said it might expand the Panamera coupe line with a smaller version or a more spacious shooting brake variant. Porsche has also been considering a sports car between the 911, which costs $151,100 for the Turbo version, and the $845,000 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. The new sports car model would be designed to challenge autos made by Ferrari SpA.

Porsche plans to sell more than 200,000 vehicles for the first time this year, driven by demand for the $49,900 Macan compact sport-utility vehicle it introduced in April 2014. The increase comes amid a rising tide for most luxury-car makers, with Porsche, its sister brands Audi and Bentley, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG all reporting fresh sales records last year.

Porsche’s deliveries rose 17 percent to 189,849 cars in 2014 and surged 34 percent in February to 14,836 cars. Demand for luxury autos is forecast to rise further this year thanks to growth in China and the U.S.

Smartphone on Wheels

The profit margin for the sports-car brand narrowed to 15.8 percent from 18 percent last year due to costs for adding the Macan to its lineup and revamping the best-selling Cayenne SUV. Even so, Porsche’s return on sales remained one of the highest among global automakers. Porsche also sells the Boxster roadster and the hard-top Cayman variant.

Porsche will focus its development efforts on engines and handling rather than push for the latest advances in in-car Internet and automated driving.

The brand’s customers “don’t want a smartphone on four wheels or the biggest touchscreen in the center console,” said Mueller. “At Porsche there’s no room for window dressing.”

For an electric car, which would help the brand comply with tightening environmental regulations, Porsche is targeting a range of more 500 kilometres (310 miles) before needing to recharge, which shouldn’t take longer than a normal stop on a motorway, he said.

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Uber in deal with China’s BYD to test electric cars

Uber Inc said on Friday it struck a deal with Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd to test a fleet of electric cars for its drivers.

The test program, which kicked off a few weeks ago in Chicago and could eventually expand to other cities, is the Silicon Valley startup's first attempt to focus on an electric vehicle, said Uber spokeswoman Lauren Altmin."We've seen interest in the program already from current and potential Chicago partners (drivers)," Altmin said.

Uber, which allows users to summon rides on their smartphones, originally started with a luxury town-car service but in many cities has added UberX, a low frills service with nonprofessional drivers using personal cars. The BYD offering is aimed at those drivers.

The electric car is part of Uber's program to help drivers buy or lease new or used cars. The BYD e6 vehicles are available through Green Wheels USA, a Chicago car dealership that focuses on electric and hybrid cars and also builds EV charging stations.

About 25 BYD vehicles are currently being used by Uber drivers in Chicago, and the hope is to bring that number to a couple of hundred by the end of the year, according to Doug Snower, Green Wheels' president.

Uber began talking to BYD and Green Wheels late last year, Altmin said.

For BYD the deal with Uber could be a step toward the long-held goal of selling its cars to U.S. consumers. The company, whose name stands for "build your dream", is a major automaker in China, but its e6 vehicle has thus far only been used in pilot programs in the United States.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Tesla Motors Inc are better known in the United States for their electric cars, the Leaf and the Model S. Uber would not comment on why it had picked a company with a relatively unknown brand.

The e6 is larger than many other electric cars, however, and is being used in London by chauffer service Thriev.

BYD gained Warren Buffett's backing in 2009 and announced plans to sell its e6 electric car in the United States the following year. Since then, BYD's U.S. business has focused mainly on electric buses for public transportation.

BYD publicized the program on its Facebook page but declined to comment on the deal with Uber.

The Facebook post, which has a picture of the vehicle, says the e6 has a 186 mile range on a single charge. It also says financing is available from BYD-approved lenders.

Green Wheels is offering several options to drivers interested in the e6. The most popular program, Snower said, allows an Uber driver to pay $200 a week to use an e6 for his or her driving shift. The vehicle is then returned to a Green Wheels lot, where it is charged until it is used again.

Drivers can also enter into a more traditional lease or a lease-to-own program, Snower said.

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Plug-in Electric Car Sales Surge in Europe


Plug-in electric car sales have undergone a huge rise in many key European markets according to figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
The biggest gains came in the UK, where a 300 per cent rise in electric cars has taken place compared to this time last year.
In total 75,331 new electric cars have been registered according to the ACEA, with Norway leading the way with just under 20,000 new registrations.
In Germany electric car registrations are up by 70 percent, while in France they had climbed by almost 30 per cent compared to the 2013 figures.
Total Electrically Charged Vehicles = Pure Electric Vehicles + Extended-Range Electric Vehicles + Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Q4Q4% ChgQ1-Q4Q1-Q4% Chg
’14’1314/13’14’1314/13
AUSTRIA93983113.0%3,6413,22712.8%
BELGIUM59531191.3%2,032819148.1%
BULGARIA20n.a.21100.0%
CZECH REPUBLIC241109121.1%58347522.7%
DENMARK676225200.4%1,612650148.0%
ESTONIA10046117.4%402150168.0%
FINLAND1309241.3%440218101.8%
FRANCE4,2482,77353.2%12,4889,62229.8%
GERMANY3,9692,71546.2%13,1187,70670.2%
GREECE223633.3%6441500.0%
HUNGARY146133.3%4316168.8%
IRELAND197171.4%25650412.0%
ITALY492497-1.0%1,4731,17425.5%
LATVIA22045400.0%391132907.7%
NETHERLANDS3,24116,926-80.9%12,92022,495-42.6%
POLAND1,578571176.4%3,9681,900108.8%
PORTUGAL846040.0%28922130.8%
ROMANIA42100.0%7475.0%
SLOVAKIA453818.4%16913624.3%
SPAIN644261146.7%1,40588359.1%
SWEDEN1,203457163.2%4,6671,547201.7%
UNITED KINGDOM6,086676800.3%15,3613,833300.8%
EUROPEAN UNION24,55226,610-7.7%75,33155,14436.6%
EU1522,34825,834-13.5%69,76652,44933.0%
EU (New Members)2,204776184.0%5,5652,695106.5%
NORWAY4,6953,70926.6%19,7678,210140.8%
SWITZERLAND8187499.2%2,6931,71756.8%
EFTA5,5134,45823.7%22,4609,927126.3%
TOTAL EUROPE (EU+EFTA)30,06531,068-3.2%97,79165,07150.3%
WEST. EUROPE (EU15+EFTA)27,86130,292-8.0%92,22662,37647.9%

Pure Electric Vehicle
Q4Q4% ChgQ1-Q4Q1-Q4% Chg
’14’1314/13’14’1314/13
AUSTRIA34524043.8%1,28165495.9%
BELGIUM32720956.5%1,164500132.8%
BULGARIA20n.a.21100.0%
CZECH REPUBLIC10217500.0%19737432.4%
DENMARK676225200.4%1,612650148.0%
ESTONIA10046117.4%398149167.1%
FINLAND6114335.7%18350266.0%
FRANCE3,6322,46147.6%10,5618,77920.3%
GERMANY2,4752,18013.5%8,5226,05140.8%
GREECE00n.a.00n.a.
HUNGARY8560.0%3210220.0%
IRELAND2156150.0%22149351.0%
ITALY32727518.9%1,09886427.1%
LATVIA137113600.0%17644300.0%
NETHERLANDS1,2461,863-33.1%2,9822,61913.9%
POLAND231921.1%8131161.3%
PORTUGAL544035.0%18916613.9%
ROMANIA42100.0%7475.0%
SLOVAKIA195280.0%586866.7%
SPAIN473234102.1%1,07681132.7%
SWEDEN28118849.5%1,239432186.8%
UNITED KINGDOM2,448388530.9%7,4162,719172.7%
EUROPEAN UNION12,7558,41851.5%38,49524,58656.6%
EU1512,3608,32348.5%37,54424,34454.2%
EU (New Members)39595315.8%951242293.0%
NORWAY4,3433,63219.6%18,0907,882129.5%
SWITZERLAND501505-0.8%1,6591,15643.5%
EFTA4,8444,13717.1%19,7499,038118.5%
TOTAL EUROPE (EU+EFTA)17,59912,55540.2%58,24433,62473.2%
WEST. EUROPE (EU15+EFTA)17,20412,46038.1%57,29333,38271.6%

Electrically Charged Vehicles other than Pure Electric Vehicles = Extended-Range Electric Vehicles + Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Q4Q4% ChgQ1-Q4Q1-Q4% Chg
’14’1314/13’14’1314/13
AUSTRIA5945910.5%2,3602,573-8.3%
BELGIUM268102162.7%868319172.1%
BULGARIA00n.a.00n.a.
CZECH REPUBLIC1399251.1%386438-11.9%
DENMARK00n.a.00n.a.
ESTONIA00n.a.41300.0%
FINLAND6978-11.5%25716853.0%
FRANCE61631297.4%1,927843128.6%
GERMANY1,494535179.3%4,5961,655177.7%
GREECE223633.3%6441500.0%
HUNGARY61500.0%11683.3%
IRELAND41300.0%3513400.0%
ITALY165222-25.7%37531021.0%
LATVIA8332666.7%21592288.9%
NETHERLANDS1,99515,063-86.8%9,93819,876-50.0%
POLAND1,555552181.7%3,8871,869108.0%
PORTUGAL302050.0%1005581.8%
ROMANIA00n.a.00n.a.
SLOVAKIA2633-21.2%111130-14.6%
SPAIN17127533.3%32972356.9%
SWEDEN922269242.8%3,4281,115207.4%
UNITED KINGDOM3,6382881163.2%7,9451,114613.2%
EUROPEAN UNION11,79718,192-35.2%36,83630,55820.5%
EU159,98817,511-43.0%32,22228,10514.6%
EU (New Members)1,809681165.6%4,6142,45388.1%
NORWAY35277357.1%1,677328411.3%
SWITZERLAND31724429.9%1,03456184.3%
EFTA669321108.4%2,711889204.9%
TOTAL EUROPE (EU+EFTA)12,46618,513-32.7%39,54731,44725.8%
WEST. EUROPE (EU15+EFTA)10,65717,832-40.2%34,93328,99420.5%
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Audi Ask Sudents to Code Self-Driving Cars

Audi is taking Piloted Driving to a decidedly smaller level, giving 1:8-scale Q5s to 10 student teams who must program their tiny crossovers to compete in the inaugural Autonomous Driving Cup. The whole thing is sort of like DARPA’s off-road competition for (full-size) self-driving cars, only scaled down and conducted indoors.

Audi’s smart play here is asking students, the next generation of automotive engineers, to tackle the most pressing issues facing autonomous-car development—namely, programming the vehicle to not only recognize widely varied road scenarios but also to react accordingly. To ensure that whatever the German students figure out is applicable to Audi’s full-scale Piloted Driving experiments, the tiny Q5s’ software-development environment is said to be identical to that used on real-life Audi prototypes.

The student teams will program their donated micro Q5s to run a large indoor course, on which they’ll encounter traffic (as an awesome aside, this “traffic” consists of small-scale Audi race cars), have to complete parking tasks, avoid accidents, and avoid obstacles. Making things even trickier is speed—the Q5s will accelerate up to 25 mph during the competition—and the sheer volume of complex sensors, which work the same way as the sensors in Audi’s full-size self-driving vehicles.

Look closely, and you’ll see a bank of sensors sticking through the little Q5’s windshield; that’s the 2D/3D camera, which is used to help the car discern range, depth of field, and color. Four ultrasonic sensors (similar to parking sensors) located at each corner and six infrared sensors help the vehicle identify its proximity to surroundings and obstacles, while a six-axis gyroscope, wheel-speed sensors, and a steering-angle sensor help the car understand its own movements. Onboard, there’s a 1.7-GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, an SD-card slot, and an open-source Arduino control computer.

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Audi launch 2nd Generation Audi R8 e-tron @ Geneva

The second generation of the Audi R8 forms the basis for two models. Audi has made major engineering developments in its high-performance electric sports car, the R8 e-tron. The latest evolution of the vehicle takes up the multimaterial Audi Space Frame from the new series-production model.

The supporting structure was enhanced by a CFRP rear-section module comprising the luggage compartment. The walls of the CFRP luggage compartment well are corrugated. This way, in the event of a rear-end collision, more energy can be absorbed despite the reduced material weight.

Thanks to targeted modifications to the outer shell and on the wheels, the Audi R8 e tron achieves an aerodynamic drag coefficient (cd) value of 0.28. In terms of performance and range, the car enters entirely new dimensions.

The large T-shaped battery is structurally integrated into the center tunnel and behind the occupant cell – optimally positioned in the car. It supports the dynamics of the R8 e-tron with its low center of gravity. Audi produces the high-voltage battery itself, for the first time based on a newly developed lithium-ion technology which was specially conceived for a purely electric vehicle drive. In comparison to the first technology platform, the battery capacity has grown from 49 kWh to approximately 92 kWh. This progress was possible without changing the package.

The R8 e-tron achieves an electric range of 450 kilometers (279.6 mi) instead of a previous 215 kilometers (133.6 mi) with an energy density that has been increased from 84 Wh/kg to 154 Wh/kg and some other modifications to the car. The electrically powered high-performance sports car has the Combined Charging System (CCS) on board, which allows charging with direct and alternating current. Using this system, it is possible to fully charge the battery in significantly less than two hours.

The power is now twice 170 kW and the maximum torque twice 460 Nm (339.3 lb-ft). The R8 e-tron accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.9 seconds on its way to an electronically restricted top speed of 210 km/h (130.5 mph) or 250 km/h (155.3 mph). Intelligent energy management and an electromechanical brake system enable high energy recuperation rates. Targeted torque vectoring – needs-based distribution of power transmission between the rear wheels – ensures maximum stability and dynamism.

Audi uses the electrical high-performance sports car primarily as a mobile high-tech laboratory. Accordingly, the findings from the R8 e-tron help in creating a vehicle with a sedan character. Upon customer request, the R8 e-tron will be available for order in 2015 as an electrically powered sports car in supreme hand-built quality.

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Aston Martin début all-electric all-wheel-drive DBX Concept

Aston Martin has surprise all at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show with the debut of an all electric DBX Concept.

Aston Martin is calling the DBX Concept a high luxury GT that fits the description of a crossover coupe. Far from a production ready vehicle, the concept is just a design study for the time being, but Aston does admit there is a market for such a vehicle.

The DBX Concept is an all-wheel drive crossover high luxury GT that uses in-board electric wheel motors at all four corners powered by lithium sulphur cells. Steering is a drive-by-wire system and both the driver and passenger have head-up displays surrounded by auto-dimming ‘smart glass’.

The DBX Concept can accommodate four adults and all the cargo they could ever want since there is a traditional rear cargo area as well as a front trunk occupying the place usually reserved for a ICE.

Souce: Autocar