Category: Electric Car News

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Nissan to lift U.S. output of Leaf electric car as demand climbs

Nissan Motor Co Ltd said it will lift U.S. production of its all-electric Leaf as demand for the car has surged sharply this year following a cut to its sticker price.

Jose Munoz, Nissan's senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas, said the Leaf is now the top reason customers are referred to the Nissan brand, adding that the vehicle is profitable.

"From a purely attraction and branding point of view it's already a very good car," he told reporters at the NADA/J.D. Power Western Automotive Conference in Los Angeles. The event was being held in conjunction with the L.A. Auto Show.

The automaker dropped the U.S. price of the Leaf by more than $6,000 to $29,650 at the beginning of this year after a shift in production of the model to the United States from Japan allowed it to cut manufacturing costs.

Munoz said the company was still weighing exactly how much it will boost output at the Smyrna, Tennessee plant where it produces the Leaf, but added it would be "an important increase."

Nissan is selling more than 2,000 Leafs a month in the United States. It sold 18,078 Leafs to U.S. drivers from January to October, not far behind the 18,782 Chevrolet Volts delivered in the same period and a big jump from the 9,819 sold in all of 2012.

Supplies of the Leaf at U.S. Nissan dealers are currently running at about 20 days. Normally the company likes to keep supplies at around 60 days.

"We are supply constrained... We will start producing more Leafs probably by the end of this year -- so December January time," he said.

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Berkeley Lab Develop Lithium-Sulfur Battery Good For 300 Mile Range

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated in the laboratory a lithium-sulfur (Li/S) battery that has more than twice the specific energy of lithium-ion batteries, and that lasts for more than 1,500 cycles of charge-discharge with minimal decay of the battery’s capacity. This is the longest cycle life reported so far for any lithium-sulfur battery.

Demand for high-performance batteries for electric and hybrid electric vehicles capable of matching the range and power of the combustion engine encourages scientists to develop new battery chemistries that could deliver more power and energy than lithium-ion batteries, currently the best performing battery chemistry in the marketplace.

For electric vehicles to have a 300-mile range, the battery should provide a cell-level specific energy of 350 to 400 Watt-hours/kilogram (Wh/kg). This would require almost double the specific energy (about 200 Wh/kg) of current lithium-ion batteries. The batteries would also need to have at least 1,000, and preferably 1,500 charge-discharge cycles without showing a noticeable power or energy storage capacity loss.

“Our cells may provide a substantial opportunity for the development of zero-emission vehicles with a driving range similar to that of gasoline vehicles,” says Elton Cairns, of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) at Berkeley Lab.

The battery initially showed an estimated cell-specific energy of more than 500 Wh/kg and it maintained it at >300 Wh/kg after 1,000 cycles—much higher than that of currently available lithium-ion cells.

The team is now seeking support for the continuing development of the Li/S cell, including higher sulfur utilization, operation under extreme conditions, and scale-up. Partnerships with industry are being sought. The next steps in the development are to further increase the cell energy density, improve cell performance under extreme conditions, and scale up to larger cells.

The results were reported in the journal Nano Letters, in a paper authored by Min-Kyu Song (Molecular Foundry, Berkeley Lab), Yuegang Zhang (Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Cairns (Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Berkeley Lab). The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and a University of California Proof of Concept Award.

For a more detailed discussion of the technology, see here.

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Honda NSX Hybrid to use turbocharged engine [VIDEO]

The Honda NSX will be powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, instead of the naturally aspirated V6 originally planned, according to internet reports.

The U-turn was revealed when the Japanese car manufacturer demonstrated a mock-up twin-turbo V6 unit during a media event on the eve of the Tokyo motor show.

Unlike the original NSX, the new model will have its powerplant mounted longitudinally instead of transversely. Two of the Honda NSX's perceived rivals - the McLaren 12C and Ferrari 458 Italia - both have their engines mounted longitudinally.

The engine, which will be completely unique to the NSX, is planned to be mated to Honda's SH-AWD (super handling all-wheel drive) system that uses a three-motor (one for each front wheel and a third one integrated into the engine as a motor generator) hybrid layout.

Putting the finishing touches to the powertrain will be a new dual-clutch transmission, but Honda officials are yet to finalise the number of ratios.

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70 year old lady loves her solar powered Nissan Leaf

My original motivation for buying an electric car was that I hated going to petrol stations and I resented the amount of money I spent there.

I was worried that an electric car would feel so different to drive from my previous car, that as a 70 year old lady, I would find it too difficult to adapt. Once I had a Test Drive, I realised I had nothing to worry about.

To start with the only difference I noticed was that it was much quieter, which does mean you have to watch out that pedestrians don’t walk out in front of you without looking, but doesn’t affect the feel of the car. My first Test Drive was in a Mitsubishi iMiev, which was the only electric car available in Australia at the time. I was persuaded to wait for the LEAF to arrive and I’m glad I did because it is larger and suits my needs better.

To help with reducing the cost of charging the Leaf I installed a 3kw solar panel system on the roof of my home. On a fine day, I can fully charge my car for no cost, using only the 15 amp power point I had installed for the purpose. The whole LEAF/Solar Panel purchase is an investment, which will pay for itself in savings if I live long enough. It is also true that it is a benefit to the environment, both locally and globally. For me, all that is a bonus, it was not my motivation.

I took delivery of my LEAF 13 November 2012. I had to collect it from Sydney because that was the closest Nissan dealership that stocked the LEAF, at the time. My first concern was to get home to Maitland in the Hunter Valley because that was almost 152 kms away.

Although, officially I could go that far without a charge, there was concern that I might not make the distance. I decided to risk it, knowing I am very good at driving cautiously. As a precaution I had a tow truck lined up to collect me if I didn’t. I reached home with 14 kms to spare. That gave me confidence because I bought my LEAF to do short trips around Maitland, not to drive long distances. Having made it home from Sydney it was obvious that ‘range anxiety’ wasn’t going to be a concern for me.

Once I started driving my LEAF regularly I realised there was something else I particularly enjoyed. On the rare occasions when I drive on a 4 lane highway, other cars see me sitting at traffic lights and think ‘electric car, that won’t go fast’ and put their foot down, expecting to leave me behind, only to find I leave them at the starting post with my instant acceleration. I also enjoy sharing my experiences with family and friends. Within a couple of months I discovered something else special about being a LEAF owner. We like sharing our experiences with other LEAF owners. The Australian LEAF Owners Forum was formed which allows us to share our knowledge and discoveries about our EVs. I have never had a car that is special in that way before and I enjoy it.

NSW members of the Forum decided we wanted to meet to collaborate. This was a bit tricky because all the others live in Sydney. One member found a Caravan Park in Bateau Bay, 90 kms for the Sydneysiders and 90 kms for me, with many 15 amp power points, where we could all recharge our LEAFs while we had a long, lazy lunch talking about our prized possessions. We got on in real life as well as we had in the Forum and that makes owning a LEAF very special indeed.

Guest Post by: Dr Phoebe Thornley @PhoebePhoebet

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NHTSA opens ‘preliminary evaluation’ into Tesla fires

U.S. safety regulators have opened a preliminary evaluation into two fires in Tesla Model S electric cars.

The National Highway Traffic Administration says fires broke out in two of the cars' batteries after the undercarriage hit road debris. The debris damaged the batteries and caused a thermal reaction and fires. No one was hurt in the fires.

The probe affects more than 13,000 cars sold in the U.S. The agency says it wants to examine risks from the undercarriage getting hit.

Tesla's batteries are located beneath the passenger compartment and protected by a quarter-inch-thick metal shield.

Tesla says it asked the government to investigate even though its cars catch fire at a far lower rate than gas-powered vehicles.

In 2011 the NHTSA opened a similar preliminary evaluation into the Chevy Volt following a severe-impact lab test on a battery pack that resulted in an electrical fire six days later.

This led to GM adding further enhancements to the vehicle structure and battery coolant system in the Chevrolet Volt that would further protect the battery from the possibility of an electrical fire.

Only 3 months ago the NHTSA awarded the Tesla Model S Five Star ratings in all NHTSA crash tests.

Source: NHTSA

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Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-In Hybrid Final Tune Drops 0-100km to 2.6 sec

Shortly before delivery of the first customer vehicles, the Porsche 918 Spyder is beating its own benchmark values. Marking the success of the final tuning measures, the super sports car from Stuttgart is now clearly the fastest ever road-going Porsche. With the weight-optimised 'Weissach' package fitted, the 918 Spyder accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.6 seconds (-0.2 seconds quicker than previously), from zero to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 7.2 seconds (-0.5 seconds), and passes the 186 mph (300 km/h) mark after 19.9 seconds (-2.1 seconds).

Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Senior Vice President 918 Spyder programme, highlights the significance of these results: "We have now used all options available to electrify the 918 Spyder, working right up to the last minute to do so."

The enhancements also bring benefits in terms of the electrical performance delivered by the hybrid super sports car. The two electric motors on the front and rear axle allow the 918 Spyder to accelerate from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.2 seconds, without producing any emissions. Such a performance marks a reduction of seven tenths of a second versus the previous time. With the Weissach package fitted, this electric sprinting time is reduced to 6.1 seconds.

The 918 Spyder complete with Weissach package currently holds the lap record for road vehicles on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a time of 6:57 minutes. At the same time, as a vehicle delivering particularly low consumption and emission figures, the model is certified to efficiency class A+.

With the Weissach package fitted, the total NEDC fuel consumption of the 918 Spyder amounts to 94 mpg (3.0 l/100 km) – 91 mpg (3.1 l/100 km) without the Weissach package. That equates to CO2 emissions of 70 g/km (72 g/km without the Weissach package). The level of energy consumption was determined to be 12.7 kWh/100 km during the approval cycle.

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Self-healing electrodes could make li-ion batteries last 10x longer

Researchers at Stanford University and Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have made a pretty big breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology. The team has developed a self-healing electrode using a stretchy polymer material that repairs cracks made in the electrodes caused by repeated use of the battery. This self-healing property could majorly extend the life of lithium-ion batteries in gadgets and electric cars.

The university reports, "Silicon electrodes swell to three times normal size and shrink back down again each time the battery charges and discharges, and the brittle material soon cracks and falls apart, degrading battery performance. This is a problem for all electrodes in high-capacity batteries...To make the self-healing coating, scientists deliberately weakened some of the chemical bonds within polymers – long, chain-like molecules with many identical units. The resulting material breaks easily, but the broken ends are chemically drawn to each other and quickly link up again, mimicking the process that allows biological molecules such as DNA to assemble, rearrange and break down."

The electrodes coated with the polymer lasted 10 times longer than uncoated electrodes, which could make a huge difference in battery lifetimes.

"Their capacity for storing energy is in the practical range now, but we would certainly like to push that," said Yi Cui, an associate professor at SLAC and Stanford.

The coated electrodes worked for about 100 charge-discharge cycles before starting to significantly lose their energy storage capacity, which is still quite shy of the 500 cycles for cell phones and the 3,000 cycles for electric vehicles, but the researchers say the potential is there for getting those higher cycle numbers.

The team thinks that other electrode materials could work as well, but for now they're focusing on upping the capacity and longevity of the technology.

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Norway has become the world capital of the electric car

Following the example of their crown prince, thousands of Norwegians have switched to electric cars, taking advantage of strong government incentives.

For the second month in a row, an electric car topped new car registrations in October in the Nordic country, where 716 Nissan Leaf were sold with an unprecedented market share of 5.6 percent.

“Norway is showing the way out of oil dependence, or even addiction,” said Snorre Sletvold, president of the Norwegian Electric Car Association.

From the modest Buddy, a locally produced two-seater urban car, to the more ostentatious US-made Tesla S, some 15,000 electric cars should be rolling on Norwegian roads by the end of 2013, 10 times more than in neighboring Denmark and Sweden.

Electric cars still represent a small fraction of Norway’s car pool, but figures grow steadily every month.

In total, they accounted for 7.2 percent of Norwegian auto sales in October, up from a 3.4 percent market share a year ago. Around 5,200 have been sold in the first 10 months of 2013 and new models by Volkswagen (including an electric version of its famous Golf), BMW and Renault are expected to hit the market in the coming months.

In September, US-made Tesla S, Crown Prince Haakon’s personal choice, topped the sales list due to a backlog that had built up before the first cars were shipped to the country.

Somewhat paradoxical in oil-rich Norway, this success can be partially explained by the numerous incentives intended to foster clean vehicle sales in the country.

Regardless of their price range, electric cars are exempt from VAT and other high Norwegian taxes, public parking fees and urban toll payments, and are allowed to use bus lanes.