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Leonardo DiCaprio & Venturi Launch Formula E Team

Venturi Automobiles today announced a joint venture with award-winning actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio to enter a team in the new FIA Formula E Championship - the world's first fully-electric race series beginning in September 2014.

Based in Monaco, the new Venturi Grand Prix Formula E Team has been co-founded by DiCaprio and Gildo Pallanca Pastor, founder of pioneering EV manufacturer Venturi Automobiles, together with Bert Hedaya and Francesco Costa.

Formula E is a new FIA Championship using electric single-seater race cars capable of speeds in excess of 225km/h. The series will compete in the heart of 10 of the world's leading cities including Beijing, Los Angeles and London. Ten teams, each with two drivers, will go head-to-head to create a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fan whilst accelerating the electric vehicle market and promoting sustainability.

"The future of our planet depends on our ability to embrace fuel-efficient, clean-energy vehicles," DiCaprio said. "Venturi Grand Prix has shown tremendous foresight in their decision to create an environmentally friendly racing team, and I am happy to be a part of this effort."

Venturi Grand Prix will now be put forward to the FIA for approval as the tenth and final team to enter the new zero emission series. They join international names from around the globe with IndyCar outfits Andretti Autosport and Dragon Racing, Asia's China Racing, Super Aguri and Mahindra Racing, and European squads Drayson Racing, e.dams, Audi Sport ABT and Virgin Racing.

The team is centred around the award-winning Venturi Automobiles, a leader in high performance electric vehicles developing a range of sports, urban and utilitarian cars, as well as being the current holders of the world land speed record for an electric vehicle with 495kph (307mph). The team also plans to become a constructor from the second season, building its own Formula E car using a powertrain based on the one used in its 3,000hp electric streamliner - Venturi VBB-3 - unveiled earlier this year in Wendover, Utah, by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

"Venturi has been a pioneer in electric high performance vehicles for more than a decade and Formula E gives us the fantastic opportunity to further improve our advanced technologies through motorsport, as well as compete all over the world," said Gildo. "It also gives us the chance to be part of a new racing programme with a project that really shares Venturi's values for clean mobility, innovation in the field of electric propulsion and energy efficiency optimisation."

"It's an honour and a pleasure to welcome the Venturi Grand Prix team as the tenth and final team of the FIA Formula E Championship," said Alejandro Agag, CEO of series promoters Formula E Holdings. "Gildo is a true pioneer in electric racing. From the desert of Salt Lake to Antarctica, his passion and vision pushes forward the technology barriers of what can be done with an electric car. But Gildo is not alone in this venture. Global entrepreneurs Francesco Costa and Bert Hedaya bring great experience and energy to the team.

"And of course, I want to give a very special welcome to our Championship to Leonardo DiCaprio. Very few environmental leaders have helped more than him to spread the message of sustainability around the world. Having people like him and Richard Branson - global ambassadors for the environment - is a privilege for our Championship and will greatly help us to spread the use of electric cars in cities around the planet."

2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship – Team line-up:
1. Drayson Racing Formula E Team (UK)
2. China Racing Formula E Team (China)
3. Andretti Autosport Formula E Team (USA)
4. Dragon Racing Formula E Team (USA)
5. e.dams Formula E Team (France)
6. Super Aguri Formula E Team (Japan)
7. Audi Sport ABT Formula E Team (Germany)
8. Mahindra Racing Formula E Team (India)
9. Virgin Racing Formula E Team (UK)
10. Venturi Formula E Team (Monaco)

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CNN: Bogota’s fleet of BYD electric taxis [VIDEO]

The Colombian capital of Bogota has rolled out a fleet of electric taxis, made by Chinese automobile company BYD.

It is the largest such fleet in South America, and is designed to improve the city’s air quality and reduce pollution. But there are some challenges in maintaining these eco-friendly vehicles. CNN's Nick Parker takes a ride.

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FIA Approves Formula E Championship Calendar

Formula E Holdings, promoters of the new FIA Formula E Championship, today confirmed its 2014/2015 calendar featuring 10 city-centre events spanning four continents.

The calendar was submitted to the FIA during its World Motor Sport Council in Paris, France, and will run from September 2014 to June 2015. Beijing will remain as the host venue for the world's first ever fully-electric race commencing on 13th September 2014 – one week earlier than previously planned.

After the opening round in Beijing, the 10 teams and 20 drivers will remain in Asia for Round 2 with Putrajaya, the federal administrative centre of Malaysia on 18th October 2014. Round 3 will now see the championship head to Rio de Janeiro, the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro and the second largest city of Brazil. Rio replaces Hong Kong which will instead be considered as a candidate city for the following Formula E seasons.

From here, the series continues in South America with Round 4 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 13th December 2014 before starting the New Year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for Round 5 on 10th January. The championship then heads to North America for Rounds 6 and 7 with Los Angeles on 14th February 2015 and Miami now brought forward to 14th March 2015.

The season then moves to Europe for the final three rounds beginning with Monte Carlo, Monaco, on 9th May 2015 followed by the German capital of Berlin on 30th May 2015 where the former airport of Tempelhof has already been revealed as the circuit location. The inaugural season then reaches its climax in London, United Kingdom, on 27th June 2015.

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings, said: "It's a great feeling to be able to confirm our calendar for the inaugural Formula E season and we're very thankful to all the cities, and candidate cities, for showing their commitment to sustainable mobility. The level of interest we have received from cities all over the globe has been overwhelming and choosing the final 10 has been a challenging and meticulous process. We're confident our final 10 cities will provide an array of fantastic backdrops to showcase electric cars in their favoured urban environments, as well as allow us to put on a great spectacle for the fans."

All Formula E events will feature a free practice session, qualifying session, one-hour race and live music concert taking place in a single day (Saturday) in order to minimise disruption to the city and its surrounding areas. Precise circuit layouts for each venue will be revealed at a later stage but all will use city-centre locations. Tickets for the first rounds will go on sale in 2014.

Formula E is a new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy –representing a vision for the future and serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle. For the first season only, all 10 teams - each with two drivers - will compete using the new Spark-Renault SRT_01E car which completed its successful test debut last month.

2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship – Calendar

Round 1 Beijing, China 13th September 2014
Round 2 Putrajaya, Malaysia 18th October 2014
Round 3 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 15th November 2014
Round 4 Punta del Este, Uruguay 13th December 2014
Round 5 Buenos Aires, Argentina 10th January 2015
Round 6 Los Angeles, USA 14th February 2015
Round 7 Miami, USA 14th March 2015
Round 8 Monte Carlo, Monaco 9th May 2015
Round 9 Berlin, Germany 30th May 2015
Round 10 London, UK 27th June 2015

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Toyota signs wireless charging deal with WiTricity

WiTricity, an industry pioneer in resonant wireless power transfer over distance, today announced an intellectual property license agreement with the world’s top-selling carmaker, Toyota Motor Corporation.

Having made an equity investment in WiTricity in 2011 to accelerate the development of automotive wireless charging systems and acceptance by carmakers, Toyota has cooperated technically with the company for the past several years. Under this intellectual property license agreement, Toyota will offer wireless charging power capture devices on their future rechargeable hybrid electric and battery electric vehicles. Compatible wireless charging sources will be manufactured by third party charging system suppliers, under license from WiTricity.

WiTricity’s technology delivers electric power safely over distance and eliminates the need for the charging cable that is required for EVs and PHVs that are currently on the market. Toyota has identified this technology as a key differentiator in the marketplace because of its seamless operation and the convenience factor it offers the vehicle owners.

“WiTricity’s mission is to make wireless charging available as widely as possible, and this announcement is a significant step toward accomplishing that mission,” said WiTricity CEO Eric Giler. “We envision a world in which wireless charging accelerates the adoption of clean, green electrified vehicles. To have Toyota, the world’s leading carmaker, licensing our intellectual property, underscores the importance of the technology.”

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Japan’s Sekisui Chemical develop Silicon based 600 km range battery

Sekisui Chemical has developed a material that can triple the capacity of lithium ion batteries, allowing electric vehicles to travel about 600km on a single charge -- roughly as far as gasoline-powered cars can go without refilling.

The new material stores electricity using silicon instead of conventional carbon-based materials. The company's silicon alloy overcomes the durability issue that had kept silicon from being used.

Sekisui Chemical also developed a new material for the electrolyte, which conducts electricity within the batteries. This eliminates the need for equipment to inject liquid electrolyte into batteries, stepping up battery production by 10-fold from the current three or so per hour.

The company believes that the new material can bring battery production costs down to just above 30,000 yen ($290) per kilowatt-hour, a decrease of more than 60 percent from around 100,000 yen ($976) today, according to a report in Nikkei.

Lithium-ion batteries are a type of non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery where the lithium-ion inside the electrolytes supplies the electrical conductivity. Standard models have lithium metal oxides at the positive electrode and a carbon material such as graphite at the negative electrode, and usually use electrolytic solution.

Using electrolytic solution is a barrier to ensuring the safety of the lithium-ion battery, and many research institutes are seeking to solidify the electrolytic solution, but from the perspective of performance and productivity, electrolytic solution remains the standard substance.

Sekisui Chemical, through its determined focus on using gel for electrolytes, has recently utilized new organic polymer electrolyte materials as gel-type electrolytes with high ion conductivity (approx. ten times other Sekisui Chemical products) to gain the prospect of realizing high-speed continuous production for battery cells (approx. ten times compared to other Sekisui Chemical products) and enhanced safety by using a continuous coating process rather than a vacuum infusion process. In addition, it has developed high-capacity silicon negative-electrode materials to make optimum use of this performance, realizing a high-capacity battery cell (900Wh/L).

The development of high-capacity film-type lithium-ion batteries giving practical performance while being flexible, slim, long and covering a large area has massively improved freedom in designing the shape of the final products, leading to anticipation for their use in automobiles, houses, electrical appliances and so on while gaining unprecedented lightness, space-saving (a third the size of previous products) and enhancing design through being able to be installed in any shape of form

Sekisui Chemical plans to begin sample shipments to domestic and overseas battery manufacturers as early as next summer, with mass production to kick off in 2015. It is targeting annual sales of 20 billion yen by fully entering the business of automotive battery materials.

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Virgin to enter team in Formula E

Virgin is to enter a team for the first FIA Formula E Championship, which gets out of the grids next year.

The all-new championship will take place on purpose-built street circuits in ten city centres around the world. The Virgin Racing Formula E Team, is headed by Team Principal Alex Tai and has the backing of Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson. Both have been involved in a number of pioneering technology projects in aviation, space and more recently racing.

The Formula E Championship is intending to showcase electric car technology and speed up development and innovation amongst manufacturers. Against this backdrop, Virgin will bring fun, energy and excitement to create a concept that is compelling for both fans and commercial partners, and will create a winning team.

Richard Branson said: “The launch of the Formula E Championship is exciting news for racing fans but also for those that believe in developing the great electric cars of the future. The need to create fast, dependable and durable race cars will help to accelerate the sector and showcase electric cars to a large global audience. With races around many famous city centres, I am expecting a lot of spectators, plenty of fun and some sparks flying as the competition hots up.”

Alex Tai – Team Principal of Virgin Racing Formula E Team, said: “I’m absolutely sold on the concept of Formula E and believe that it is a great fit for the Virgin brand. The accessible nature of the series with its races being right in the heart of our great cities, should create a wonderful atmosphere. The drive to develop new technology appeals to Virgin, which has always been a pioneering organisation. I’ve been fortunate to have been involved in a number of such activities over years, from the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer to Virgin Galactic activities that push technological and human boundaries and capture people’s imagination.

Alejandro Agag – CEO Formula E Holdings, said: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Richard Branson and the Virgin Team to Formula E and for them to have chosen the FIA’s new zero emission series to make their return to top-flight motor sport. Having a global brand like Virgin, renowned for their technological innovation and sporting passion, as one of our ten teams is a fantastic addition to the championship and shows their commitment to sustainable mobility. Today’s announcement now means we just have one team left to announce before the grid for the inaugural 2014/2015 Formula E season is complete.”

FORMULA E ENTRANTS SO FAR

  • Drayson Racing
  • China Racing
  • Andretti Autosport
  • Dragon Racing
  • e.dams
  • Super Aguri
  • Audi Sport Abt
  • Mahindra Racing
  • Virgin Racing
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    Zoox Reveal Autonomous Bi-directional Electric Vehicle Concept

    Meet The Boz; it's not really a car - it's what might come after the car - a vehicle design based entirely around autonomous driving.

    Inside the Boz, the experience would be like sitting in a train. Drivers become passengers, or "commanders." Without needing to focus on traffic and road signs, they would be able to use the commute to do some work or watch a video or have a snooze!

    Just as the internal combustion engine enabled the car to replace the carriage, Zoox believe autonomous technology will replace the car, and in doing so create a new class of mobility known as 'Level 4'.

    Level 4 is a term taken from a policy statement the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released on May 30, 2013. This document outlines a spectrum of mobility systems from the fully manual Level 0, through to Level 4 which is fully autonomous.

    From a design perspective, the first element you may notice is what's absent: the front and rear windshield. This is not to say L4s can't have them — certainly those designed for tourism would — but this vehicle makes the statement that you now have an option.

    Firstly, it gains thermal, aerodynamic and acoustic efficiencies. The thermal load lost through the windshield is significant, requiring energy intensive climate control systems, as well as a number of ancillary systems to keep the glass clear. These inefficiencies are removed.

    The entry profile of the vehicle is aerodynamic as a near teardrop, unattainable in a car due to the requirement for driver vision. The low profile roofline and absence of glass further lends itself to superior acoustic insulation. The side windows are thin, but double glazed, which enhances these properties.

    Because the requirement for the passenger to be situationally aware of their exterior environment is removed, external sound and light can be shielded to enhance a sense of serenity and safety. This is a superior environment for interacting with voice-activated systems, watching video or conversing.

    You can be in the middle of a bustling city, but when the door seals, you are in your own world.

    The next point of observation may be that there is no hood. This is because there is no internal combustion engine — behind each wheel sits an electric in-wheel motor. The body language has been changed to reflect this setup, moving each wheel to its outer corner with minimal overhangs to maximize vehicle stability and interior volume.

    Finally, the L4 is symmetrical in its X and Y axes — there is no differentiation between back or front. In fact, each quadrant of the vehicle is mirrored and identical.

    Source: Zoox