Charged with Electric Vehicle News and Views
Ford will pay owners of the car $550 to compensate for what they will spend on gas beyond what the original rating had led them to expect. 
The car's futuristic look and feel, as well as its energy-saving production, will probably be the most important factors in convincing drivers that it is stylish to drive green. 
This time next week the world's most energy efficient electric cars will be hitting speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) as they race 3,000 km (1,865 Miles) coast to coast across the Australian Outback contesting the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
The outright contenders for line honours will come from the big budget single seater aerodynamic vehicles of the Schneider Electric Challenger Class. The only external energy source allowed during the race is solar irradiation received by a maximum of either 3 square meters of high-efficiency (22.5%+), triple-junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells or 6 square meters of silicon based solar cells with less than 22.5% efficiency. The solar array is paired with a maximum on-board energy storage capacity of 5 kw/h to assist with energy use strategy, hills, clouds or extra acceleration for overtaking.
To have a good chance to win each car has to 1) Collect as much solar energy as possible and 2) Use as little energy as possible. This means special attention needs to be applied to the efficiency of transferring electrical energy to the wheels and minimising friction from aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance which is affected by vehicle weight amongst other things.
To achieve the electrical efficiency goal, every Bridgestone World Solar Challenge winner since at least 1999 has used a direct drive in-wheel motor to propel the vehicle. Direct drive eliminates mechanical transmission losses that can be as much as 20%.
Solar cars use very low rolling resistance tires that are specially designed for this race with a rolling resistance ten times less than an average road car. With the rolling resistance of a cars tyres accounting for roughly 20% of all energy used, tyres can account for up to one in every five tanks of fuel in a regular road car. Vehicle weight is also kept extremely low with extensive use of carbon fiber, again to minimise rolling resistance.
Tokai Challenger in 2011 won with an average speed of 91.54 km/h (56 mph). With such high average speeds combined with the physics of air resistance being proportional to the square of speed, aerodynamic drag is the main source of losses on a solar race car. Much design effort is invested in CFD computer simulation, scale and full size wind tunnel testing. The best solar race cars achieve a drag coefficient as low as 0.07 (Nuna 3 – which holds the record for highest average winning speed @ 102.8 km/h) where a road car ranges from 0.24 (Tesla Model S) to 0.35 (Toyota Land Cruiser).
It is the chase of maximum aerodynamic efficiency that has lead to the race winning dominance of “coffee table” type vehicle designs which brings up the question of how practical can a solar-powered vehicles be? The 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge sees the introduction of the Michelin Cruiser Class which is not focused on speed but practicality, with the ultimate goal of entrants being able to meet the requirements for road registration. Cruiser Class cars must seat a minimum of two people and will be allowed over-night battery charging at select locations.
While the Michelin cruiser class aligns solar race car design more closely with road car requirements, if the limitations of having the solar panels on the vehicle itself are removed, powering a regular road going EV with solar power is an affordable reality today!
Tesla Motors recently launched a network of solar powered superchargers capable of charging their Model S to 320 km of range in 30 minutes. Even a modest 1.5 kw residential roof-top PV solar system generates enough energy to power a commuter EV like a Nissan Leaf for more than average annual mileage. In fact, displacing the cost of petrol instead of grid power will reduce the break even time on a roof-top PV installation to just a few months.
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: This post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Words and thoughts are entirely my own.
The SAE International DC “Combo” Fast Charge station installation at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego is a milestone for plug-in electric vehicles – the first public installation in the U.S. of an industry-coordinated standard for fast charging of plug-in electric vehicles.
The Chevrolet Spark EV, available in California and Oregon, will be the first EV in the U.S. to offer the SAE International fast-charge connector as a vehicle option starting in late December.
“The launch of these new charge stations will help improve the convenience and adoption of electric vehicles because they dramatically reduce the charge time,” said Pamela Fletcher, executive chief engineer of electrified vehicles at General Motors. “The SAE Combo DC fast charge stations are the result of EV industry collaboration to help customers benefit from available public infrastructure.”
The new combined AC and DC charging, or combo, connector is accessible via a single charge port on the vehicle and allows electricity to flow at a faster rate, making EVs more convenient for longer trips and for EV owners who may lack convenient access to overnight home charging.
“San Diego Gas & Electric applauds the collaborative efforts it took to make San Diego home to the world’s first retail SAE DC fast charge station,” said Lee Krevat, director of smart grid and clean transportation for the utility. “Our local drivers that have vehicles equipped with this charging system connector will be the true beneficiaries of this technology.”
Many major automakers including GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have announced they will adopt the SAE combo fast charge connector standard. Earlier, many of the world’s major automakers had adopted the SAE’s 120V/240V AC connector standard to assure plug-in vehicles could access all charging infrastructure regardless of vehicle make or model.
AOL's Translogic take the NISMO RC for a spin and interview NISMO President Shoichi Miyatani at the recent Nissan 360 media event.
Nissan is selling more LEAFs than ever before and is the lead sponsor of National Plug-In Day in 2013.
With the day being about plugging in to charge up, Nissan pointed some video cameras at the company's EV quick charger, stationed in front of Nissan Americas headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. to see who is stopping in to charge and go.
California has a goal of having 1.5 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2025.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday toured an electric car fleet that included Tesla, BMW and Honda as part of a meeting with other car manufacturers and private companies. The meeting was held at San Francisco's Exploratorium and discussed the future of the electric car.
Brown said he will sign two pieces of legislation continuing incentives for purchasing electric cars.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation remains convinced of the virtues of motor sports to improve the breed and whilst the glorious days of the Dakar Rally and the World Rally Championship are long gone for Mitsubishi, the achievements of the innovative i-MiEV Evo electric monoposto racer at Pikes Peak still prove the point – especially for pioneering technologies.
In the case of the bigger SUV/crossover Outlander, cross country was deemed better suited – more so as it would be an unusual showcase for Outlander PHEV and its unique Plug-in Hybrid Electric drivetrain.
A pre-production Outlander PHEV was entered in the 2013 Asia Cross Country Rally (or “AXCR”) which took place August 10th – 16th between Thailand and Laos, post-event celebrations starting today in Japan.
An officially FIA sanctioned race, the AXCR is an Asian take at a Dakar-type of extreme cross country rallying, which started this year from Pattaya and finished in Pakse, in the southern part of Laos.
Over 6 days, competitors drove over 2,000km on various road surfaces and conditions including mountain roads, muddy jungle, river crossing, etc,…, making it a true challenge in terms of driving performance and endurance.
A reliable choice
Out of a total of 20 entries in the four-wheeled category (of which 19 finished), the Outlander PHEV attracted quite some attention as it was the only plug-in hybrid vehicle to participate, most competitors behind heavy-duty Diesel-powered pickup trucks.
Entered by a private team (“Two and Four Motor Sports”), backed by Mitsubishi Motors, the sole Outlander PHEV finished 17th overall with no failure: quite a success for what was essentially a standard car – including the Twin Motor 4WD plug-in hybrid electric drivetrain, as well as the Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system – the only modifications being the regular cross-country racing routine of upgraded shock absorbers and springs, roll cage, underfloor protection, exhaust and snorkel duct, etc,…
World markets
Completing such a tough rally with no problem whatesoever confirmed the durability as well as the dynamic performance of Outlander PHEV just a few months before it starts its commercial career in world markets.
Mitsubishi will launch Outlander PHEV sequentially, starting with selected PHEV markets (The Netherlands, Nordic countries, etc,…) from October 2013 onwards.
The other European markets will gradually follow from November 2013 to Q1 2014.
Volkswagen really don't seem to 'get it'! The chairman of the supervisory board at Volkswagen Group, Ferdinand Piëch, revealed during a lecture at the Vienna University of Technology that VW are working on a racing version of the XL1 to be powered by a 1.2 Liter two cylinder Ducati 1199 Panigale R superbike engine.
Instead of ditching the XL1's 47 hp two-cylinder diesel engine and showcasing their recently launched EV strategy by installing a high performance 200 kw electric motor into the low drag carbon fiber XL1 chassis, something that might give a Tesla Roadster a runs for it's money, VW decide to stay old school and take a huge step backwards by off-loading the XL1's entire hybrid system to bring the XL Sport's down to 795 kg.
Not only does the 190 hp / 123 Nm Ducati motorcycle engine has less power and torque than a standard Tesla Roaster, and significantly less than a Roadster Sport (300 hp / 400 Nm) but the V-Twin's peak torque is at 9,000 rpm instead of from 0 rpm like the Tesla. While the XL Sport may have a weight advantage over a Roadster (1,235 kg), it'll still be significantly slower 0-100 km/h and will be about as technically advanced as a motorcycle engine powered Locost Britsh kit car, or even the Piontek Sportech kit car chassis the Tesla powertrain was originally developed in.
“We are planning to have a plug-in hybrid in each and every model series,” BMW’s head of production for large vehicles, Peter Wolf, told motoring.com.au this week. “So far we have the 3, 5 and 7 Series as full hybrids, and at the other end of the bookshelf the i3 and the i8. We are planning to work on that with the X5 eDrive, but at this stage, the plug-in is a completely new concept, and the battery is very specific [to the X5].”
BMW showed off the X5 eDrive concept at the recent Frankfurt motor show, and officially launched it this week. The large SAV (not an SUV, mind you) has an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, a four-cylinder gas engine, a 70 kW electric motor and a 19-mile electric range.
Wolf said that the X5 eDrive is close to production-ready, but wouldn’t give an actual date: “We can’t tell [you] anything about what is the start of production, but we are working on such a concept [and] we are very far [along]. But it’s not a part of next year.”
Source: motoring.com.au
Sumitomo Metal Mining will invest ¥4.8 billion (US$48 million) to boost its production capacity of lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2) from the current 300 tons per month to 850 tons to meet anticipated increased Li-ion cell production by Panasonic to meet the growing demand for Tesla Model S EVs.
Sumitomo successfully developed its high-performance lithium nickel oxide for cathode materials in collaboration with Panasonic Corporation and is now supplying this material to that company, which uses it to make the cylindrical lithium-ion batteries which are adopted in the electric powertrains used by Tesla.
Tesla commenced deliveries of its award-winning Model S sedan in the US in June 2012. With Model S deliveries now underway in Europe and slated to begin in Asia, including Japan and Australia, in the spring of 2014, Panasonic is planning to increase production of its lithium-ion batteries.
To respond to this expansion of the market for automotive rechargeable batteries, Sumitomo will expand its production facilities for lithium nickel oxide at its Isoura Plant in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture. Expansion work is to get under way in October, with completion scheduled for June 2014.
Sumitomo says it is pursuing aggressive development and stable supply capability in cathode materials, leveraging its ability to produce nickel in-house. Going forward, Sumitomo intends to further strengthen its operations in materials for energy and environmentally related applications.
A handful of Tesla Motors Inc. electric cars are now available for rental at two California airports by Hertz Global Holdings Inc., which is adding more upscale autos to its fleet.
Hertz said it is introducing Tesla Model S and Roadster rechargeable cars at Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. Hertz has five Teslas combined at the two airports, with rental prices starting at about $500 a day, Paula Rivera, a Hertz spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
The Tesla models expand on a lineup of higher-priced vehicles that Hertz has added to its fleet under its Dream Cars program, which includes Ferrari and Lamborghini models.
In July, Hertz won final regulatory approval for its $2.3 billion acquisition of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. The merged companies compete with closely held Enterprise Holdings Inc. and Avis Budget Group Inc.
Enterprise has carried three Tesla Model S cars in its Exotic Car Collection fleet since June and plans to add two more by the end of the year, spokesman Greg Phillips said in an e-mail. The cars rent for about $300 to $500 per day, he said.
Hertz separately reduced its full-year forecast for full-year revenue and profit, citing weaker than anticipated car rentals at U.S. airports.
Driving the all-electric Nissan LEAF means never having to buy gas. Now, thanks to the new "No Charge to Charge" program, offered by Nissan and NRG eVgo, new buyers and lessees of the all-electric Nissan LEAF in the Dallas-Fort Worth and greater Houston areas will have unlimited access to the eVgo network for public charging stations for their first year of ownership at no cost.
Beginning in October, customers who lease or purchase a new Nissan LEAF in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston markets will receive one year of complimentary access to eVgo's comprehensive Freedom Station (R) charging network, including 23 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and 17 in the greater Houston area. Also, included as part of the eVgo network, is charging at Park N' Fly locations at DFW and IAH airports.
"Nissan LEAF owners who already subscribe to NRG eVgo's Freedom Station network rave about the convenience and increased range confidence it provides," said Erik Gottfried, Nissan's director of EV Sales and Marketing. "Adding one of the country's most innovative charging plans to the world's best-selling electric car is a clear win for Nissan LEAF buyers."
Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing markets in the country for Nissan LEAF sales, with deliveries up 500 percent so far in 2013 as compared to 2012. The presence of strong public infrastructure with eVgo, as well as major technology companies and strong word-of-mouth referrals from existing owners has fuelled the rapid rise in LEAF sales.
"NRG eVgo has created a comprehensive suite of electric vehicle charging products to support the growing number of EVs and to address EV drivers' need to charge both at home as well as on the road," said Jack Cannata, director of marketing for NRG eVgo. "With access to our well-placed charging stations across the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metro areas, Nissan LEAF drivers can really maximize their use of the vehicle."
eVgo Freedom Station sites, conveniently located along major roadways, offer electric car drivers DC fast charging and Level 2 charging. DC fast chargers can deliver up to an 80% charge in less than 30 minutes. Level 2 chargers deliver range at a rate of 12 -- 25 miles per hour. Most sites are available 24/7 and are positioned near retail stores as well as restaurants to provide the option to shop or eat while charging.
Nissan will offer "No Charge to Charge" with acquisitions of the Nissan LEAF made between October 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014 at all certified Nissan LEAF dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth and greater Houston area markets.
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Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn today took delivery of Japan's first license plate for a car equipped with highly advanced driver assist systems. It clears the way for a Nissan LEAF equipped with the technology to be tested on the public roads in Japan for the first time. The research program will accelerate the development of technologies fundamental to Autonomous Drive. The systems are designed to allow the driver to manually take over control at any time.
The license plate includes the number 2020, which reflects Nissan's goal to be ready with multiple, commercially-viable Autonomous Drive vehicles by the year 2020.
"This is an ordinary license plate for an extraordinary vehicle," said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "A month ago we revealed to the world our 2020 Autonomous Drive target. Road testing of the underlying technologies is critical to maintaining our leadership position and we are grateful to the Government of Japan for its support."
The Nissan LEAF to be tested is capable of a number of functions, including:
Nissan is developing Autonomous Drive as it works to achieve virtually zero fatalities in accidents involving its vehicles. The goal stands alongside zero emissions as a key pillar of Nissan's research and development. Autonomous Drive is an extension of the Nissan Safety Shield, which monitors a 360-degree view around vehicles for risks, gives warnings to the driver, and automatically intervenes if necessary. Work is already underway to build a dedicated Autonomous Drive proving ground in Nissan's facility in Oppama, Japan.
Nissan Executive Vice President for Research and Development, Mitsuhiko Yamashita, said: "The realization of the Autonomous Drive system is one of our greatest goals, because Zero Fatalities stands alongside Zero Emissions as major objective of Nissan's R&D. Through public road testing, we will further develop the safety, efficiency and reliability of our technology."
At the recent launch of the BMW i3 lithium-ion battery-electric car, BMW board member Ian Robertson said that in the next three to four years there will be more progress in battery development than in the previous 100 years. He said electric cars will have batteries with twice the current power within four to five years, which will double the range.
We reported back in January that Toyota Motor Corp and BMW AG agreed to jointly research a lithium-air battery. Lithium-air battery has its anode filled with lithium, and cathode with air.
Lithium metal-air batteries can store more than 5,000 watt-hours per kilogram. (A123 M1 cells are around 120 wh/kg) That's more than forty-times as much as today's high-performance lithium-ion batteries, and more than another class of energy-storage devices: fuel cells.
The reduction in battery mass is achieved by eliminating the need for a second reactant inside the cell. Lithium metal batteries react with oxygen in the air that is pulled in through a 'breathing' casing, making them lightweight and compact.
The technology is being studied by researchers including IBM , which is working to develop a lithium-air battery that will let electric vehicles run 500 miles on one charge.
Given the recent new that General Motors is working on an EV that can go 200 miles (320 km) per charge at a cost of about $30,000 to compete with Tesla's as yet un-named 200 mile $30,000 EV due in approx three to four years, the 2016/17 model year promises to be a very exciting year for affordable, long range electric vehicles.
TOYOTA Racing fought a race-long battle for victory in the Six Hours of the Circuit of the Americas before taking second place in the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
After six hours of intense racing in hot temperatures, the #8 crossed the finishing line just 23.617 seconds behind the race winner.
The TS030 HYBRID was able to get strong performance from the same set of tyres over two stints. This, combined with quick pit stops, reduced the amount of time the #8 needed to spend in the pits.
The next round is TOYOTA Racing's home race, the Six Hours of Fuji on 20 October where the team will have two cars competing as the #7 of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima returns to action.
The newly landed Tesla Model S, after a market presence of less than two months, has already topped Norway’s best-sellers' list during the opening two week’s of this month, comfortably outselling all other cars, regardless of fuel type, accounting for 6.2 per cent of all the new cars sold in Norway.
Hot on the heels of recording 184 registrations in its debut month in Norway, registrations of the Model S in Norway hit a chart-topping 322 units to bulldoze Volkswagen’s conventionally powered Golf (256 units) out of first place by a substantial sales margin, according to AID compiled data.
The number eight slot went to Nissan’s LEAF, Norway’s most popular electric car so far this year. Both fully-fledged electric cars have captured a combined market share of 9.1 per cent.
1) Tesla Model S – 322
2) Volkswagen Golf – 256
3) Toyota Auris
4) Mazda CX-5
5) Volvo V40
6) Skoda Octavia
7) Toyota RAV4
8) Nissan LEAF
A British couple set out to drive 500 miles (800 km) in a day from the Waitrose eco-store in Bracknell in a Nissan Leaf following the Ecotricity Electric Highway at Welcome Break motorway service stations. Here is their story.
Dutch students today reset the Guiness world record for acceleration 0-100 km/h, in the category for electric cars. The Delft University of Technology Racing Team used their 2012 All-Wheel-Drive 148 kg Formula Student DUT12 to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 2.13 seconds at Valkenburg Airport.
The Formula SAE car has a four wheel drive powertrain with a 26 kw / 27 Nm motor driving each wheel giving a total peak power output of 104 kw. The front motors are out-board and drive through a 1:7 Planetary gear system. The rear motors are in-board and drive the wheels via a 1:13 two-stage spur gear system with carbon fiber half-shafts.
The Delft Team first prepared the ground by pouring a solution of sugar in water over the track, and heating it with a gas-burner. All rubble was removed and a plastic sheet was put over the track to keep it dry. Additionally, tire warmers were used on the car, the driver was the team's lightest member, Marly Kuijpers, and the the run was repeated ten times with traction control and tire slippage tweaked within the four motor controllers via the CAN bus ECU for each run.
The team says that rule changes make 2013 and 2014 Formula Student cars less likely contenders for future acceleration records. For one thing they will have high downforce wings, which add drag, and larger batteries, adding weight. The heavier machines are unlikely to reach a new record, so Delft may well hang on to the top spot longer than another student team, which held its record just over a year.
