Category: Electric Car News

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CNN review gives Chevy Spark EV two Thumbs Up [VIDEO]

It would be safe to say Peter Valdes-Dapena, the editor for automotive and other consumer content at CNNMoney.com, 'gets it' when it comes to EVs.

Back in February of this year, when a reviewer at the New York Times drove a Tesla Model S around New Jersey determined to miss as many freeway exits as possible to get a photo of the Model S on a Flat bed truck, Peter Valdes-Dapena over at CNN volunteered to do the same trip to prove the doubters wrong.

Here the CNN reviewer gives the Chevy Spark EV two thumbs up, saying the only down side is it's limited distribution in California and Oregon only.

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Nuna 7 Takes Early Lead in 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge [VIDEO]

Team Nuon from the Netherlands, in their solar car Nuna 7, took an early lead in the Schneider Electric Challenger Class of the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and at the end of day one are approximately 633 kilometres south of Darwin. Just 32 kilometres behind at the Dunmarra Control Stop there is one minute separating second placed Team Twente in ‘Red Engine’ also from the Netherlands and the 2011 Champion team Tokai from Japan, who as predicted, made up time early from 20th position on the starting grid.

USA solar champions, team Michigan, are in fourth place approximately 10 kilometres out of Dunmarra with Australia’s Team Arrow showing they can mix it with the elite international field just behind in fifth place.

In the Michelin Cruiser Class team Bochum from Germany are in first place approximately sixty kilometres north of Dunmarra, with team Eindhoven from the Netherlands just five kilometres behind in second place, Minnesota Solar team from the USA in third place and University of NSW Sunswift team in fourth place approximately 100 kilometres north of Dunmarra.

Leading the GoPro Adventure Class was Australia’s team Aurora who have never missed a solar challenge; followed by IVE from Hong Kong and Antakari from Chile.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started today October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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Electric car tops registrations in Norway for first time

An electric car model has topped the list of new car registrations in Norway for the first time, a car industry group said Thursday.

In the month of September there were 616 registrations of the Tesla Model S, accounting for 5.1 percent of the total, according to Opplysningsraadet for Veitrafikken(OFV) which compiles data on Norwegian car sales.

Overall, electric cars took 8.6 percent of the market in September, compared to 5.2 percent a year ago. The figures illustrate strong interest in electric cars in a country ranked among the world's top ten petrol exporters.

Norway has encouraged electric car sales with tax incentives, congestion charge exemptions, access to public transport lanes and free parking.

"I have no doubt that electric cars will increase their share of the market again in the coming months, and particularly next year with the arrival of several new models,"said Oeyvind Solberg Thorsen at OFV.

In September hybrid cars, which do not enjoy the same incentives as electric vehicles, took 7.3 percent of the market.

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Underdog Team Scores World Solar Challenge Pole Position

Qualifying day for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge at Hidden Valley Raceway didn't follow any script with an underdog team setting the fastest overall time, a Michelin Cruiser Class car coming in second fastest and many of the favorites struggling to set a competitive time at all.

Pole position goes to Australian TeamArrow, a Queensland based team associated with the Queensland University of Technology who set a lap time 5 seconds clear of the entire field. Second in the Schneider Electric Challenger Class is Japanese team Kogakuin University Solar Vehicle Project with a close third place going to the Stanford team with Luminos.

Of the favorite teams, University of Michigan are fifth in the starting order with Nuna7 starting lucky 13th having set a time 33 seconds off the pace while Tokai Challenger starts 20th after spinning twice at the final corner leading onto the main straight. The 'official' reason given is sand on the track although only one other car spun at that corner, the Hochschule Bochum SolarCar Team who still qualified third in the Michelin Cruiser Class.

Of all the asymmetric cars (with the driver positioned on one side of the car) in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Tokai Challenger is the only car with rear wheel steering which may have contributed to the car spinning each time it negotiated the final turn at Hidden Valley. We don't expect there are many hairpin corners along the 3,000 km route from Darwin to Adelaide so this may not be a good indicationn of likely race performance.

On pole for the Michelin Cruiser class, and second fastest time overall is Solar Team Eindhoven with their 4 seater Stella. University of Minnesota starts second with final turn spinners Hochschule Bochum SolarCar Team starting third.

UNSW Solar Racing Team with their Sunswift eVe two seater start forth with a qualifying time 26 seconds off the pace following some drama on their first attempt at a flying lap. Sunswift's eVe literally limped around the Hidden Valley track on it's first warm up lap and came straight back into the pits barely moving under it's own power. The problem turned out to be a seized front brake caliper that was only diagnosed after the team were forced to set a time before eVe could be repaired.

Pole position for the GoPro Adventure class, which includes quite a few older generation three wheeled solar cars that no longer qualify for the outright class, was set by SIKAT Solar Philippines with SIKAT II followed by Aurora Evolution and Team Solaris from the Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey.

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.

Full results: Bridestone World Solar Challenge

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Finnish Electric RaceAbout Blitz the Nürburgring [VIDEO]

During a recent Nürburgring expedition the Electric RaceAbout team set a new, greatly improved, lap time.

While testing the latest powertrain improvements and the new Nordschleife Aero-kit Micke Be rgman stopped the timing at 8:23.56. To put this in context the Audi R8 e-tron did it in 8:09.099 while the Mercedes SLS E-Cell set a time of 7:56.234

Due to the limited possibilities for only three complete laps this time there is still room for significant improvement.

According to Micke the new Nokian Hakka Black tyres, the torque vectoring control and Aero-kit combined with the lighter and more powerful battery take the E-RA to a completely new level of performance.

The almost unlimited new potential unleashed by the torque vectoring both improve the car's agility and stability. This was not previously possible with traditional powertrain technologies and together with the team we'll continue to explore the possibilities and improve the technology.

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Kia Soul EV confirmed for 2014 launch

Kia has announced plans to offer a Soul EV in the United States.

Set to go on sale next year, the Soul EV is described as a "natural extension of the Soul's urban-friendly place in the brand's lineup of award-winning vehicles." The company declined to release additional information but said we can expect to learn more at an upcoming auto show.

While Kia is remaining mum on details, our spies have already caught the model undergoing testing. Despite being heavily camouflaged, the photos revealed the model will have a revised grille with an integrated charging port.

Little else is known about the model but previous reports have indicated it could accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 12 seconds, have a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) and travel up to 200 km (124 miles) on a single charge.

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GM creates a Tesla task force

We've already heard reports that General Motors is working on a new electric vehicle with a Tesla Model S-like range of 200 miles (322 km) but new details are starting to emerge about the company's Tesla task force.

In an interview with Reuters, General Motors Vice Chairman Steve Girsky revealed the company has created a new task force to study Telsa and the Model S. The diverse group - which includes product planning, engineering, manufacturing and sales personal - will attempt to learn everything they can about Tesla so they can improve their own future products. As Girsky explained, Tesla is "revolutionizing the business model ... not just how you put an EV together [but] how you go to market with something like this."

While it's unclear what lessons General Motors will learn, the company is reportedly working on a handful of new hybrids and EVs. Besides the 200 mile (322 km) Chevrolet EV, which is expected to cost between $30,000 and $35,000, the company is reportedly developing fuel-efficient flagships which could be badged as Cadillacs and cost more than $100,000.

Source: Reuters

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Porsche 918 Spyder: Engine Technology [VIDEO]

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid with four driving modes, two electric motors, and a 4.6 liter mid-mounted V8 engine. E-Drive is an all-electric mode primarily for city driving, with a range of up to 20 miles and a top speed of only 93 mph.

There are also three different “hybrid” modes (Hybrid, Sport, and Race) that use varying degrees of power from both the V8 engine and two electric motors. Hybrid mode is obviously on the more fuel-frugal end, with the engine and electric motors working to optimize fuel economy. Meanwhile Race mode is reserved for on-track shenanigans, with a special sub-mode called “Hot Lap” which unleashes the full fury of the 918 Spyder, with the electric motors providing even more of a power boost.

The 918 Spyder also has a carbon fiber-reinforced monocoque for a curb weight of just over 1,632 kg. But really, it’s all about the cutting edge drivetrain, and while it may remain prohibitively expensive for now, there’s no doubt Porsche is working to bring more economy-minded plug-in hybrids to the roads. The 918 Spyder is merely the R&D test bed.

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Top Gun Scrutineering for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge [VIDEO]

The Clipsal and Schneider Electric Challenger Class single seat aerodynamic masterpieces were presented to Scrutineering on day 2 of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge at the Royal Darwin Showgrounds.

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.

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World’s Most Efficient EVs Travel 3,000 km without Plugging-In

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.

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San Diego Gets First Public SAE Fast-Charging Station for EVs

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.

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A Day in the Life of an EV Fast Charger [VIDEO]

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.

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California Goal to Have 1.5M EVs on the Road by 2025 [VIDEO]

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.

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Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV competes in cross country rally

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.