Category: Electric Car News

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Porsche Hybrid Defeats Audi Hybrid at 83rd Le Mans

Porsche won the Le Mans 24-hour endurance sports-car race for the first time since 1998 with the first non-diesel win since 2005.

Porsche’s 2.0-litre V4 turbo Petrol A123 battery powered 919 Hybrid car took first and second places, while Audi’s R18 4.0-liter V6 Turbo Diesel flywheel powered e-tron hybrid came in third. Both carmakers are owned by German-based Volkswagen AG, the world’s second-biggest auto manufacturer.

The return of Porsche to Le Mans in 2014 after a 16-year hiatus and its subsequent victory Sunday underscore how Volkswagen is stoking in-house competition on and off the racetrack, even amid additional costs. Porsche and Audi each entered three vehicles in the fastest vehicle category, Le Mans Prototype 1, or LMP1.

“This is a very special day for us,” Matthias Mueller, Porsche’s chief executive officer, told reporters in Le Mans. “It was a great team effort.”

VW is pouring money into new vehicles, technology and factories as the company plans to surpass global industry leader Toyota Motor Corp. by 2018. Maintaining a technological edge is vital for VW’s upscale brands, which also include Bentley and Lamborghini, as they vie for affluent customers with the likes of BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz.

Research Budget

Audi and Porsche accounted for 66 percent of Volkswagen’s operating profit in the first quarter. Volkswagen, which has one of the largest research and development budgets of any publicly traded company, is investing 85.6 billion euros ($96.1 billion) through 2019 to add models and production capacity.

Rising costs to develop electric cars and new digital features such as piloted driving are weighing on Volkswagen’s efforts to improve profitability, including a program announced a year ago to increase earnings at its namesake passenger-car brand by 5 billion euros by 2017. The manufacturer has taken steps to rein in costs companywide by sharing more parts among a wider range of vehicles.

Porsche and Audi have denied reports in recent weeks that they plan to enter Formula One car racing, citing high costs and shrinking visitor numbers. Formula One “needs to solve its problems alone,” Rupert Stadler, Audi’s CEO, said last month.

Audi and Porsche say Le Mans provides a better opportunity to test new technology that can be used later in road cars, such as lightweight construction and high-performance hybrid electric systems.

Ford Motor Co., the second-biggest U.S. carmaker, said Friday it will return to Le Mans in 2016. Competing in the GT racing class, the Dearborn, Michigan-based company will commemorate the 50th anniversary of its 1966 sweep of the top three places at the race.

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It’s official: Tajima teams up with Rimac for Pikes Peak 2015

Team APEV with MONSTER SPORT, led by the racing legend Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, teamed up with Rimac Automobili. As a result, 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Race will have a new 1.1 MW beast at the starting line, the Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One.

Rimac Automobili are once again showing their vigorous racing DNA taking the challenge in one of the most prestigious races in the world. Mr. Tajima’s decades long experience in racing and Rimac Automobili’s state of the art technology and know-how brought to life a staggering creation, the Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One. It is powered by four independent electric motors, giving the car a total power of over 1,1 MW (1,475 HP). That is more than twice the power Mr. Tajima had in his 2014 car when he broke his own Pikes Peak record, stopping the clock at 9:43,90.

There are no gearboxes or differentials on this car. The power of each independent motor is transferred to each wheel by an innovative chain drive system developed specifically for this project, which saves a lot of weight and space. Embracing the Rimac Automobili technology, the Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One features an adapted racing version of the Rimac All Wheel Torque Vectoring system, first implemented in the Rimac Concept_One.

The Rimac AWTV controls the torque of each motor 100 times a second. The system can vary the torque on each wheel depending on the steering angle, speed, longitudinal and lateral forces, yaw-rates and number of other variables. The ECU runs the collected sensor-data through complex mathematical algorithms which calculate the optimum torque distribution on a millisecond-level. This enables the vehicle to take full advantage of the tires, squeezing the maximum out of their potential and giving the driver the desired vehicle dynamics at any given moment. Mr Tajima will thus have both the 1,1 MW of power and maximum grip in each of the Pikes Peak’s 156 corners.

“We measured 0-100 km/h in 2,2 seconds. 200 km/h comes in 5,4 seconds from a standstill. Cornering forces and stopping numbers are also impressive, but let’s not spoil the surprise. We are quite confident that Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One will break previous year’s record. He is a great driver with tons of experience. Interesting fact – he raced Pikes Peak his first time a year before I was born. 28 years later, we work alongside to push the limits further. With the support of our best engineers and technicians, our technology, powertrain, battery-system and Torque Vectoring, he will be able to push the boundaries of electric race cars to a whole new level. Working with Mr. Tajima and his team is an amazing experience of which we enjoy every second.” reveals Mr. Rimac.

“The Pikes Peak is one of most difficult hill climbs in the world, because it is held on a public road, not a race track. The conditions are constantly changing. We want to develop technology and gather experience from the Pikes Peak race for development of better, safer, and zero emission road cars. This is my aim. Rimac Automobili is a quite young company but their mind and their spirit are fantastic. The level of technology, professionalism and vertical integration that this company has managed to achieve in such a short time amazed me. I am very happy because Rimac Automobili is simply the best partner for Team APEV.” said Mr. Tajima after the initial testing in Croatia.

The Pikes Peak hill climb is 19,9 km long and ends up at 4,301 m above sea level. Petrol engines have oxygen starvation problem at that altitude - the power of the engine decreases over 40 percent. However, electric motors don’t use oxygen, so Mr. Tajima will have the full power of all four electric motors available from start until the finish line.

Pikes Peak race

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race in Colorado has taken place since 1916. On average it features around 130 competitors from all over the world. This year the event is starting with practice sessions on Tuesday, June 23rd, culminating on race day, Sunday June 28th. The track is 19,99 km (12,42 miles) long, has 156 turns climbing 1,440 m (4,720 ft) from the start at Mile7 of the Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 4,300 m (14,110 ft).

Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One

Technical data:

  • All-wheel drive
  • Four independent Rimac permanent magnet electric motors
  • Rimac All Wheel Torque Vectoring
  • Maximum power: 1100 kW
  • Maximum torque: 1500 Nm
  • Maximum regenerative braking: 400 kW
  • 57 kWh Rimac Automobili battery pack
  • Four chain driven single reduction Rimac transmission systems
  • Monster Sport aluminum alloy tubular space frame with carbon-fiber body
  • Electrically assisted power steering
  • Adjustable shock absorbers
  • Ventilated brake discs Ø370 mm front and rear + Rimac regenerative braking system
  • 340/710 R18 slick tyres / 13” × 18” wheels
  • Kerb weight: 1500 kg
  • 0-100 km/h 2,2 s
  • Top speed: 270 km/h
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    LG signs battery deals with two Chinese Bus Manufacturers

    LG Chem has agreed with Chinese automakers Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus and Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle to supply lithium ion-based batteries for their electric vehicles (EVs), the Korean company said Sunday.

    "LG Chem has signed battery supplement deals with Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus and Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle," LG said in a statement. "The contract calls for LG to provide batteries for their upcoming large- and small-sized electric city buses."

    Company spokesman Woo Byeong-min declined to reveal the financial details.

    Since 2010, LG Chem, the world's largest battery manufacturer, has continued signing deals with China's leading car producers because the Korean company believes the Chinese EV market has huge potential.

    Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus, established in 2000, is one of the top-tier producers of electric buses in China, with an annual capacity of about 8,000 units. Dongfeng Commercial is an affiliate.

    "The latest agreement will significantly help us expand our portfolio to buses from sedans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in China, the world's biggest EV market," Woo said.

    He said demand for electric buses was increasing in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, thanks to more subsidies from the central government to cut carbon emissions.

    The statement said LG Chem was looking to electric buses to keep its growth momentum.

    "For example, an EV sedan uses a battery with between 10 and 30 kilowatt per hour (KWh) storage capacity," Woo said.

    "However, an electric bus uses a 60-200 KWh battery. The electric bus market is therefore more profitable."

    LG Chem said its battery factory in the southern Chinese city of Nanjing would begin operating next year, and would be the frontrunner among its main rivals in China.

    The LG Chem statement quoted President Kwon Young-soo as saying, "The Chinese EV market will boom after 2016. LG Chem is ideally positioned to lead the market, given the number of clients we have secured."

    KDB Securities, a local brokerage, expects demand for EVs in China to reach 350,000 by 2016 from an estimated 200,000 this year, with leading car manufacturers introducing affordable models.

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    Jay Leno’s Garage – Nissan GT-R LM NISMO [VIDEO]

    Jay Leno has a behind-the-Scenes chat with Chief engineer Zack Eakin about Nissan’s daring new front-engined 1,000 hp Hybrid LM P1 race car.

    Watch Jann Mardenborough, Nissan GT Academy’s Season 3 winner, take it around the test track in Kentucky.

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    LG Chem to offer 80 to 120 kWh batteries

    South Koran chemical engineering company LG Chem have announced its intention to be a supplier of larger batteries to car manufacturers who are interested in longer range EVs.

    LG Chem is targeting a 300-500 km range battery pack. The company contends that currently most EVs with their 100-150 km range have a limited appeal and that hinders the potential for market growth. Currently, only the Tesla Model S possesses a truly long-range battery pack.

    To that end, LG Chem says it would begin to offer large capacity lithium-ion batteries that hold between 80 and 120 kWh.

    LG Chem is already a supplier for the Chevrolet Volt. General Motors announced this past January that the Bolt, a new pure EV that will go into production in 2016, will have a 320 km range.

    Such long-range EVs have the potential to dramatically shake up the electric-car landscape and appeal to a larger audience.

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    500 hp BYD Tang Plug-In Hybrid SUV now Available for Pre-orders

    BYD Company Ltd. has officially announced their much anticipated Dual Mode Electric SUV, the Tang, will become available for pre-order on January 21, 2015 for the anticipated price of 300,000 RMB (before EV incentives) - USD$48,360. The announcement took place at BYD’s Annual International Auto Innovator Conference in Shenzhen. Demand for the BYD Tang is said to be incredibly high after BYD saw record EV sales in 2014 with the BYD Qin now topping the World’s Best Selling EV charts (presently in 5th place in PHEV sales). The BYD Tang is expected to quickly surpass the BYD Qin’s monthly sales figures as China has waited a long time for a PHEV Sport Utility Vehicle.

    The BYD Tang, announced at Auto China 2014 (the Beijing Auto Show), is BYD Auto’s second generation DM 2.0 PHEV vehicle, and first of the much touted BYD 5-4-2 platform models:

  • 5: standing for 0-100km/ h (0-60 mph) in less than 5 seconds
  • 4: standing for 4-wheel drive
  • 2: standing for less than 2 liters average consumed over 100 km (best-in-class fuel economy nearly equal to 147 mpg)

    Similar to the BYD Qin, Tang gets its name from the Tang Dynasty, and is known throughout the world as the most prosperous of all the great Chinese Dynasties. Also announced during the innovator’s conference were two more Sport Utility offerings from BYD that will become available for order later in 2015:

    The “BYD Song”, a mid-size SUV along with the “BYD Yuan”, a compact SUV will both cater to China’s insatiable demand for Sport Utility Vehicles, and when powered by BYD’s industry leading 5-4-2 platform are set to redefine limitations of current PHEVs and SUVs alike.

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    Daimler and Qualcomm to develop wireless charging for EVs

    Daimler and telecommunications giant Qualcomm Technologies have announced a partnership to develop new wireless charging technologies for vehicles and phones.

    The alliance will focus on “mobile technologies that enhance in-car experiences and vehicle performance,” as well as Qualcomm's Halo Wireless Electric Vehicle (WEVC) technology, with the overall aim of introducing an induction charging system into future Mercedes models.

    Possible candidates for the technology could include the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, currently powered by a plug-in hybrid 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, or even the small-sized B-Class Electric Drive.

    Qualcomm, more widely known for producing a range of high-end smartphone processors, started developing the technology in 2011 and WEVC trials have been underway in the United Kingdom since 2012, with the technology working similarly to wireless phone charging.

    A Vehicle Charging Unit (VCU) is installed in the floor of a garage or car park, which sends power wirelessly to a similar unit installed in the car, which sends power to the electric vehicle batteries.

    Currently the technology only allows for stationary charging, but development is underway on dynamic charging that will work by installing multiple VCUs underneath roads capable of charging cars on the move.

    The implementation of dynamic charging could cut the cost of electric vehicle manufacturing by reducing the need for large, range-extending batteries.

    Additionally, Qualcomm's WiPower technology will be implemented to allow full wireless charging on a smaller scale, for compatible smartphones and tablets inside the vehicle.

    Daimler AG group research and Mercedes development board member Thomas Weber said the new partnership will bear fruit for both companies.

    “It's important that we remain on the cutting edge of technology and continue to deliver unparalleled experiences to our customers,” he said.

    “With this in mind, we are eager to jointly explore possible fields of future cooperation with an internationally leading tech-firm like Qualcomm.”

    Qualcomm Incorporated President Derek Aberle said integration of vehicle and mobile communications is the way of the future.

    “The automobile has become an extension of always-on connectivity, and as such, we're continuously utilising our expertise in wireless mobility to deliver in-car experiences comparable to the ease and convenience of smartphones,” he said.

    Last year, German luxury rival brand BMW announced it would team up with Daimler to research and explore the possibilities of similar technology, and Volvo has also previously revealed it is looking at the cordless tech and Toyota signed a deal with WiTricity in late 2013.

    Californian Electric car specialist Tesla has also tested the potential of such systems, but dismissed them saying too much power was wasted in the transfer process.

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    Graphene Supercapacitor equals Li-ion battery energy density

    Scientists in South Korea have developed a graphene supercapacitor that stores as much energy per kilogram as a lithium-ion battery and can be recharged in under four minutes.

    Supercapacitors are not a new idea. But graphene, which is a form of carbon composed of sheets a single atom thick, is especially suitable for making them.

    Graphene has an area of 2,675 square metres per gram. All of this surface is available for the storage of static electricity. Graphene could therefore be used to make supercapacitors that hold more energy per kilogram than lithium-ion batteries.

    Graphene is to graphite what a single playing card is to a full pack. Strong chemical bonds keep the graphene layers intact, but the individual layers are held to each other only weakly, which is why graphite can be used to make the “lead” in pencils. To make small amounts of graphene, you can peel the layers from the surface of a graphite crystal one at a time, as a dealer might when distributing cards (there are various ways of doing this). To make a lot of it, though, you have to pull the whole crystal apart, as one might scatter a pack across a table.

    Dr Lu Wu of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, in South Korea, did this in two stages. First, he exposed powdered graphite to oxygen in a controlled manner to produce a substance called graphite oxide. This is not a true oxide, with a fixed chemical formula. Rather, it is a graphite-like substance that has oxygen-rich clusters of atoms between the graphene layers.

    This done, he then heated the graphite oxide to 160°C in a vessel which had an internal pressure of a tenth of an atmosphere. The heat caused chemical reactions inside the graphite oxide, and these produced carbon dioxide and steam. The increased internal pressure these gases created, pushing against the reduced external pressure in the vessel, blew the graphite apart into its constituent sheets. Those, after a bit of further treatment to remove surplus oxygen, were then suitable for incorporation into a supercapacitor—which Dr Lu did.

    The result, though small, worked well. It stored as much energy per kilogram as a lithium-ion battery and could be recharged in under four minutes. Scaled up to the size needed for a car, the current required to recharge it that quickly would require a pretty robust delivery system.